Minnesota Governor Tim Walz decided to get his laughs on the backs of American investors last month, proudly announcing on stage that he keeps Tesla’s ticker on his phone for a “little boost” as the stock fell — literally pointing and cheering when it hit “$225 and dropping.” That viral moment wasn’t just a gaffe; it was a window into a contemptuous political culture that applauds private losses because it suits an ideological grudge.
What Walz apparently forgot in his moment of schadenfreude is that the people he’s supposed to serve have real money at stake. Public filings show the State of Minnesota owns roughly 1.6 million shares of Tesla in its retirement fund, plus more in non-retirement accounts — hard-earned pension money that teachers, firefighters, and state workers depend on, not material for a joke. When politicians mock the value of a company that sits inside public pension portfolios, they’re mocking the livelihoods of their own constituents.
Elon Musk didn’t take that kind of public humiliation lying down; in a recent interview he blasted Walz as a “creep” and a “huge jerk,” calling the spectacle of a politician celebrating the collapse of private wealth “evil.” For everyone who still thinks business and politics should be kept in separate moral spheres, Musk’s retort was a rare and righteous defense of entrepreneurs, employees, and investors who build real value instead of preening for camera applause.
This isn’t abstract corporate drama — it has real-world consequences. Dealers, customers, and even infrastructure tied to Tesla have been targeted in violent vandalism, and the broader intimidation campaign has chilled sales and imperiled jobs, something the CEO pointed out as he defended his company and workforce. The nation should not normalize politicians cheering on the collapse of firms that employ Americans and support communities, especially while virtue-signaling about “holding billionaires accountable.”
Conservative commentators and independent voices have been right to notice the humility gap: Walz’s gloating was caught on camera and then amplified by people like Dave Rubin, who highlighted a DM clip showing Musk getting the last laugh as the political class tried to crow over market pain. That clip didn’t just land as a viral hot-take — it showed Americans who prize free enterprise that there are consequences when elected leaders publicly side against the creators of jobs and the stewards of pension funds.
This episode is a reminder to hardworking Americans that the culture of contempt from the left isn’t harmless theater. Whether you own a Tesla or simply rely on a state pension, you should expect your leaders to protect economic security, not gloat when markets wobble. Politicians who cheer for private losses reveal their priorities: cheap virtue signaling over stewardship, and that’s not the kind of leadership most Americans voted for.
