(Maire Clayton, Headline USA) Minnesota Governor Tim Walz backtracked Saturday after saying he enjoyed watching Tesla stock go down.
“I have to be careful about being a smart-ass. I was making a joke,” he stated. “These people have no sense of humor. They are the most literal people.”
NEW: Tim Walz says he was totally joking when he celebrated Tesla stock going down, says Elon Musk makes him unhealthy.
The comment came after Walz apparently didn’t realize his own pension plan owns Tesla stock.
“I have to be careful about being a smartass. I was making a… pic.twitter.com/w1QHAYyvco
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 23, 2025
He admitted he shouldn’t have made the comments and tried to say Tesla founder Elon Musk just “bugs” him.
“But my point was, they’re all mad, and I said something I probably shouldn’t have about a company,” he concluded.
While Walz tried to claim Republicans can’t take a joke, many shared humorous responses after his explanation.
“He’s just a big goofball knucklehead,” co-owner of Trending Politics Collin Rugg wrote, referencing what the governor previously said about himself.
Walz originally started to talk about Tesla’s stock while at an event in Wisconsin. The failed vice presidential pick decided to share the clip to his social media.
“Some of you know this. On the iPhone, they’ve got that little stock app. I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day — $225 and dropping,” Walz said. “And if you own one, we’re not blaming you. You can take dental floss and pull the Tesla thing off.”
If you need a little boost during the day, check out Tesla stock 📉 pic.twitter.com/KBEh6pOZLW
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) March 19, 2025
At the time of writing, Tesla stock is down roughly 28% since the beginning of the year.
Walz experienced severe backlash on social media after the clip went viral.
“What is wrong with you,” author Calley Means wrote. “You’re actively rooting for an innovative American company to fail? The cars are American made and literally drive themselves.”
Others decided to mock Walz and posted a screenshot of the 2024 election results, highlighting the failures of the Harris-Walz ticket.
