Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) made headlines last week for a remark about Tesla stock dropping in recent months, but now he appears to be walking the comments back after receiving backlash.
Walz walked back his remarks while speaking at an event in New York over the weekend, saying he was joking and that people were being too sensitive.
“I have to be careful about being a smart-a–. I was making a joke,” Walz said. “These people have no sense of humor. They are the most literal people. My point was they’re all mad, and I said something I … probably shouldn’t have about a company.”
Last week, Walz spoke in front of a crowd in Wisconsin, joking that he had downloaded an app just to watch Tesla’s stock continue to fall, as it’s done 34.6% over the last month alone.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, has received backlash over his role in the Trump Administration, and several Democrats have taken shots at him in recent weeks over his private sector struggles.
Still, Walz’s remarks sparked backlash from numerous people, including the president himself, who called the Minnesota Gov. a “loser” when asked about his remarks in the Oval Office.
Musk also fired back last week in a post on X where he referenced Walz’s 2024 election loss.
“Sometimes when I need a little boost, I look at the JD Vance portrait in the White House and thank the Lord,” Musk wrote.
Investor Kevin O’Leary also criticized Walz, saying it was “beyond stupid” for Walz to make his joke as Minnesota’s State Board of Investments reported in 2024 that it held 1.6 million shares of Tesla in its retirement fund.
“That poor guy didn’t check his portfolio and his own pension plan for the state. It’s beyond stupid what he did,” O’Leary said while appearing on CNN.
As for Walz, he shared more criticism for Musk during his New York event, saying he wasn’t doing enough to help people and that if he were the world’s richest man, he would be handing out money to people he walked by because it would be fun.
“Not this guy,” Walz said. “Not this guy.”
Walz has increased his public presence in recent weeks after he left the door open for a potential presidential run with The New Yorker.
“Never turn down a job you haven’t been offered,” Walz said after being asked about whether or not he would run for president.