Elon Musk called Jimmy Kimmel “such an unfunny jerk” on X after the comedian poked fun at Tesla’s recent misfortune Wednesday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“Tesla stock is way down, almost disastrously so,” Kimmel said Wednesday to cheers from the live audience. “People have been vandalizing Tesla vehicles, new Tesla vehicles. Please, don’t vandalize, don’t ever vandalize Tesla vehicles.”
Kimmel delivered that last bit with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, which raised the ire of Musk and conservative pundits today.
So tonight, Kimmel went back at Musk, Tesla and the billionaire’s conservative supporters.
“Tesla is not having a good week,” Kimmel said in his monologue. “Today they issued a recall of nearly all 46,000 of their Cybertrucks. That’s the eighth Cybertruck recall since they came out in November of 2023. It’s 15 months — 8 recalls.
“I mentioned last night multiple Teslas were burned at a Tesla facility in Las Vegas. Authorities are now investigating which Teslas were set on fire — and which set themselves on fire,” the host quipped.
“And while no one should be setting anything on fire, ever, people are mad at Elon Musk for randomly and gleefully putting thousands of Americans out of work, including veterans. But the MAGA gang — which has been very against any kind of violent protest since January 7, was it? 2021? That’s when they started being against it — they are highly upset.”
Cut to a series of clips from Fox News and News Nation where hosts, guests and commentators decry “left-wing lunatics,” praise Musk for working for the government “for free,” urging “We should be loving him,” suggesting that “maybe it’s time we go full Kyle Rittenhouse-style security” and warning “if you’re gonna touch a Tesla, we’re coming after you.”
Kimmel replied, mimicking those critics, “Right, right. But if you try to taser a cop on the steps of the Capitol, ‘We’ve got your back.’ “
“Everyone just needs to crack open a Bud Light and relax already,” he said with a nod to a 2023 Red State-Blue State battle that seems very long ago now.