Elon Musk, once gleeful about slashing jobs and benefits, is now playing the victim as Democrats revel in his company’s struggles. The billionaire, who once paraded around with a chainsaw to symbolize his brutal layoffs, is now outraged that politicians dare to celebrate Tesla’s declining stock value.
Appearing on Fox News, Musk lashed out at Democratic Sen. Tim Walz for expressing joy over Tesla’s financial downturn. “Tim Walz, who is a huge jerk, was running on stage celebrating Tesla’s stock plummeting. What an evil thing to do. What a creep, what a jerk. Like, who derives joy from that?” Musk fumed.
Well, as it turns out—plenty of people.
Across the country, Americans are protesting Musk’s unchecked influence, showing up at town halls, and picketing Tesla dealerships. Despite former President Donald Trump’s attempts to prop up the company and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s threats against demonstrators, the resistance against Musk is growing louder.
Critics argue that Musk, who has built his empire with significant taxpayer funding, is using his wealth and power to manipulate government policies while dismissing the struggles of everyday citizens. His approval rating is in free fall, and a recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that 67% of Americans wouldn’t even consider buying a Tesla. More than half (56%) cite Musk himself as the reason.
His history of inflammatory remarks isn’t helping. Musk has called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme,” insulted U.S. war hero Sen. Mark Kelly as a “traitor,” and empowered a group of online trolls to interfere with federal operations. And despite his claims of being a champion of free speech and innovation, many see him as an oligarch bent on serving his own interests.
Public sentiment is shifting fast: 55% of Americans now have an unfavorable view of Musk, and 54% believe he has “too much influence” over Trump—up sharply from last year. Meanwhile, the number of people who think Musk doesn’t have enough influence? A measly 2%.
The sound of celebration you hear? That’s Tim Walz—and millions of others who have had enough of Musk’s antics.
