Pritzker fires back at Elon Musk after buffet remark sparks war of words

CHICAGO - Was Elon Musk and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker trading barbs on X on your bingo card for Wednesday?

After Musk initiated the war of words, Pritzker didn't hold back and hit the Tesla CEO over a recent controversy.

What we know:

The online spat began when Musk retweeted a video of Pritzker at a news conference, where the governor vowed to stand up against policies from President Donald Trump that he believes harm Illinois residents.

"When it comes to threats to our freedom, health or security, if you come for my people, you come through me," Pritzker said.

Musk added a caption to the video, taking aim at Pritzker’s weight, writing, "Nothing is more dangerous than getting between JB Pritzker and the buffet table!"

Pritzker fired back by posting a picture of himself eating at The Wiener’s Circle, a well-known Chicago hotdog spot, with the caption, "I salute (The Wiener’s Circle), not Nazis." His remark was a clear reference to Musk’s gesture at a Trump inaugural rally, which some compared to a Nazi salute.

Musk, speaking at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., had been praising Trump’s victory when he placed his hand on his chest and extended his arm outward and upward.

"My heart goes out to you," Musk said while making the gesture. "It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured."

In response to the backlash, Musk posted on X, "The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired."

The Wiener's Circle responds

Late Wednesday night, the popular hotdog spot retweeted Pritzker's comment to Musk and simply said, "Body by wiener circle!" with a salute emoji.

What we don't know:

It’s unclear whether Musk will respond further to Pritzker’s jab, or if the exchange will continue escalating.

What's next:

The exchange between Musk and Pritzker comes at a time of heightened political tension, as Trump has signed numerous executive orders in his first two weeks in office and deportation operations have ramped up nationwide, including in Illinois.