As he took the stage in downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night to energize Democrats in light of a significant State Supreme Court election, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of name-calling.
However, he proceeded to label Elon Musk as a “dipshit” and subsequently referred to him as a “South African nepo baby” capable of jeopardizing government programs. The audience erupted with laughter.
Governor Walz, who was the Democratic nominee for vice president last year, is among several Democrats who have highlighted Musk’s immigrant background amid an increase in criticism directed at the billionaire’s influential ties to the Trump administration. Their rhetoric, which portrays Musk as a foreign outsider, sometimes mirrors President Trump’s own contentious remarks aimed at his political adversaries—though Trump typically reserved such insults for elected officials of color rather than affluent white individuals.
During a news conference last month, Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur questioned, “Which country does he pledge allegiance to? South Africa, Canada, or the United States?” New York Representative Nydia Velázquez told a protest crowd that Musk should “return to South Africa.” Meanwhile, Virginia Representative Don Beyer stated at another protest, “We’re going to send Elon back to South Africa.”
Elon Musk was born in South Africa in 1971, moved to Canada in 1989, and subsequently relocated to the United States for college. He gained Canadian citizenship just before his move and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2002, as noted by his biographer, Walter Isaacson.
Walz made these remarks at a town hall-style event coinciding with the commencement of early voting for a State Supreme Court race in Wisconsin. Scheduled for April 1, the election features a liberal candidate opposing a conservative ally of Trump, who has received over $13 million in support from Musk. Wisconsin Democrats have utilized these contributions to depict Musk as the primary antagonist in the election.
This marks at least the second occasion on which Walz has referred to Musk as a “nepo baby,” a colloquial term denoting someone who has inherited wealth or privilege (Musk’s father was a well-known engineer and developer in Pretoria). At a town hall in Des Moines on Friday, he criticized Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency for suggesting cuts to the Veterans Affairs Department.
“There’s nothing conservative about an unelected South African nepo baby terminating employees at the V.A.,” he stated.
Trump has a history of belittling his political opponents by implying they are foreign or distinct from typical Americans. He started his political journey in part by casting doubt on President Barack Obama’s citizenship. During his first term, he told a diverse, predominantly American-born group of congresswomen of color to “go back” to their home nations. While campaigning against Vice President Kamala Harris last summer, Trump often mispronounced her name and portrayed her as an outsider by questioning her ethnic heritage.
These attacks elicited strong reactions from Democrats. However, many appear willing to borrow from Trump’s playbook to depict Musk as an outsider.
The issue of Musk’s origins and immigration status occasionally surfaced during the 2024 campaign. In the final days of the presidential race, The Washington Post revealed that Musk had worked in the U.S. on a student visa in the 1990s; this led President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to label him an “illegal worker.”
It’s not solely Democrats targeting Musk’s immigrant status. Stephen K. Bannon, a top strategist in Trump’s first administration, recently criticized Musk as a “parasitic illegal immigrant” who disrespects “the country’s history, values, or traditions.”
This comment seemed to reference The Post’s report regarding Musk’s overstaying his student visa, which Musk describes as a “gray area.” He later denied having worked illegally in the U.S.
Musk has made immigration status a focal point in his political dialogue, often denouncing illegal immigration and unfoundedly asserting that Democrats exploit Social Security and other benefits to entice immigrants to the nation.
Bengali (Bangladesh) · 
English (United States) ·