Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) walked back his joke about Tesla stock dropping, saying he was “being a smart-a–.”

“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,” he continued.

Walz received sharp criticism from the right after he joked about Tesla stock dropping amid Elon Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Last week he told a crowd in Wisconsin that he boosts his mood by looking at Tesla stock, which has dropped 34.6 percent over the last month.

Investor Kevin O’Leary slammed Walz over his joke, calling it “beyond stupid” because Minnesota’s State Board of Investments reported in 2024 that the state Walz governs held 1.6 million shares of Tesla in its retirement fund.

Walz’s most recent comments were from an event in New York. He criticized Musk for being the world’s richest man and not helping people who need it, noting that if the roles were reversed, Walz would be handing money out to people on the street because it would be fun to make their day.

“Not this guy,” Walz said. “Not this guy.”

Walz, who ran alongside former Vice President Kamala Harris, has emerged as one of the Democratic Party’s loudest voices. He’s launched a speaking tour across the country after Republicans were cautioned against doing them with angry constituents.