White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t hold back. She slammed Tim Walz’s “sad existence” after he cheered Tesla’s stock drop.
Walz, now Minnesota’s Democrat governor, openly celebrated Tesla’s 40% stock decline in 2025. He admitted he roots for it just to spite Elon Musk. Leavitt called it “quite sad” and said Walz is bitter after his 2024 election loss.
“Tim Walz said last night that he frequently checks Tesla’s stock… to ‘give [him] a little boost throughout the day,’” a reporter asked. “How should Americans view politicians who take pride in the downfall of an American car company?”
“I think it’s quite sad,” Leavitt responded. “But I think that Governor Walz unfortunately is living a sad existence after his devastating defeat on Nov. 5.”
Walz didn’t hide his feelings. He said he takes “great pleasure” in imagining Musk’s life getting “very, very difficult.”
“Some of you know this, on the iPhone, they’ve got that little stock app,” Walz said. “I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day—$225 and dropping.” He joked about removing Tesla logos from cars with dental floss. “I’m not a vindictive person or anything, but I take great pleasure in the fact that this guy’s life is going to get very, very difficult.”
Tesla employed over 121,800 workers as of June 2024, a 14% drop from 140,000 in December 2023. The company has 47,000 employees in California and ranks as the third-largest employer in Austin, Texas, with 23,000 workers.
Walz has been making media rounds in red districts. He’s hinted at a possible 2028 presidential run if the timing and his “skill set” align.
Anti-Musk activists have taken their outrage to the streets. Tesla dealerships and charging stations have been vandalized in protest of Musk’s involvement in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which targets wasteful government spending. Leavitt called these attacks “despicable” and said they harm “innocent Americans.”
In Littleton, Massachusetts, firefighters responded to seven Tesla superchargers on fire around 1:00 a.m. Monday. Investigators confirmed it was arson. In Baltimore County, protesters vandalized a Tesla dealership over the weekend, spray-painting “No Musk” and symbols resembling either a swastika or an X.
Police in Loveland, Colorado, arrested a 40-year-old man near a Tesla dealership. He was caught carrying explosives.