Tim Walz offers truce to Elon Musk on Tesla stock jokes but there’s a catch
EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN: Tim Walz shared he will stop mocking Elon Musk's Tesla's declining stock performance after the Minnesota Governor recently found himself at odds with billionaire tech mogul.
During a town hall in Wisconsin, Walz joked that he checks his phone to see if Tesla stock is plummeting whenever he needs “a little boost during the day.”
Tim Walz's Tesla stock comments spark controversy
If you need a little boost during the day, check out Tesla stock 📉 pic.twitter.com/KBEh6pOZLW
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) March 19, 2025
Walz's remarks on March 19 quickly caught Musk’s attention, leading to a public exchange that has since escalated into a full-fledged dispute.
Walz later walked back his comments at a separate town hall in Minnesota, admitting that Musk “bugs me in a way that’s probably unhealthy.”
Acknowledging that he should be “careful about being a smart**s,” the governor admitted, “I said something I probably shouldn’t have about a company.”
Elon Musk fires back, calling Tim Walz a 'huge jerk'
Despite Walz’s attempt to soften his stance, Musk took issue with the governor’s remarks, airing his frustrations during an interview with Fox News on Friday, March 28.
"I mean, you have Tim Walz, who’s a huge jerk, running on stage with the Tesla stock price has gone in half, and he was overjoyed," the tech billionaire stated.
“What an evil thing to do—what a creep, what a jerk,” Musk said, criticizing Walz for appearing to take joy in Tesla’s declining stock prices.
“Like, who derives joy from that? Does that sound like a good person to you? I don’t think so,” he added.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO accused Walz of reveling in his company’s struggles and took issue with what he viewed as an unprovoked attack.
Tim Walz extends a conditional peace offering
In response to Musk’s heated reaction, Walz took to social media on Sunday night, March 30 to offer a truce but with one major condition.
“Elon, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll stop making fun of your stock when you take your hands off social security,” Walz wrote.
Elon, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll stop making fun of your stock when you take your hands off social security. https://t.co/YauKFvsvpV
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) March 31, 2025
A short time later, the governor followed up with another post, emphasizing why he and many Americans are concerned about Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiatives, which some fear could negatively impact social security benefits, according to HuffPost.
Elon Musk yet to respond to Tim Walz’s offer
As of Monday afternoon, March 31, Musk has yet to publicly acknowledge Walz’s proposal.
Whether he will engage in further debate or brush off the governor’s remarks remains to be seen.
