California Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is taking a page from the Trump administration's playbook — or at least joking about it. On Monday, Newsom's official press office posted on X that California should collect Tesla shares in return for the "corporate welfare" the state has given Elon Musk.

"TIME FOR CALIFORNIA TO COLLECT TESLA SHARES FOR ALL THE CORPORATE WELFARE WE GAVE ELON! PAY UP!!!" the press office wrote, quoting a post by Scott Lincicome that linked to a Wall Street Journal article about the Trump administration's deep ties with Intel Corp (Intel (INTC)).

The Wall Street Journal article detailed how the Trump administration took a "hands-on approach" with Intel, becoming its largest shareholder in what it described as an unprecedented form of "state capitalism." It also noted that President Donald Trump urged Apple Inc. (Apple (AAPL)) CEO Tim Cook to do business with the chipmaker.

Newsom's jab at Musk and Tesla Inc. (Tesla (TSLA)) is the latest in a long-running feud between the governor and the billionaire CEO. Newsom has repeatedly claimed that California's subsidies, generous corporate incentives, talent pool, and manufacturing base were instrumental in the success of Musk-led companies like Tesla and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX (SPCX)).

In a previous interview, Newsom called Musk "one of the great disappointments" due to his close association with Trump, but also hailed him as a great innovator and "the Thomas Edison of the modern era." He argued that a favorable regulatory environment in California helped Musk amass his wealth.

Musk, for his part, has criticized Newsom and California's policies, including a proposed billionaire wealth tax targeting the state's richest residents.

While Monday's post was clearly tongue-in-cheek, it highlights the ongoing tension between California and one of its most famous corporate residents. Tesla's relationship with the state has been rocky — the company moved its headquarters from Palo Alto to Austin, Texas in 2021, though it still maintains significant operations in California.

Whether California will actually demand equity from Tesla remains to be seen — but the joke underscores a serious debate about the role of government incentives in corporate success.