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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has sought to clarify remarks he made last week regarding Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, following backlash over his comments mocking the company’s declining stock price. At a town hall in Rochester, Minnesota, on Saturday, Walz explained that his earlier comments were intended as a joke but acknowledged he should have exercised more caution with his words.

“I was making a joke. These people have no sense of humor,” Walz said, referring to Musk and his supporters. He further admitted, “This guy bugs me in a way that’s probably unhealthy,” underscoring his frustration with the Tesla CEO. Despite the clarification, Walz did not back down from his critique of Musk.

His comments stemmed from remarks made at an event in Wisconsin, where Walz humorously referred to Tesla’s struggling stock, which had fallen by 41.4 percent year-to-date as of March. "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 quipped, adding, "And if you own one, we’re not blaming you. You can take dental floss and pull the Tesla thing off."

The joke did not sit well with Musk’s supporters, including Tesla Autopilot AI engineer Dhaval Shroff, who quickly called out the governor on social media. Shroff, who was part of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving team, accused Walz of hypocrisy, pointing out that many critics of the company still use its vehicles. “It’s obvious that this guy hasn’t been in a Tesla ever,” Shroff posted on X. “Once you’ve used one, there is no other car that even comes close enough to compete.”

Musk appeared to endorse Shroff’s remarks by responding with an emoji of agreement on X.

In addition to defending his remarks, Walz also took aim at Musk’s broader involvement in U.S. politics. He criticized Musk for his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative focused on reducing the federal workforce, and called out the tech mogul for what he saw as disrespect toward employees at the Minneapolis VA, who provide care to veterans.

“They’re all butthurt about the Tesla thing, but they don’t care about the disrespect they have shown to employees at the Minneapolis VA who care for our veterans, and they fire them,” Walz stated.

Walz also directed a swipe at Musk’s immense wealth, suggesting that if he were the richest person in the world, he would use his resources to directly help others. "Maybe it’s just me. If I’m the richest man in the world, I’m like out on the streets handing out money. It’d be fun as hell just to help people out. Go help people out. Not this guy," Walz remarked.

The ongoing tension between the Minnesota governor and the Tesla CEO highlights a deeper divide between political figures and tech industry moguls, with Musk's influence and actions in the public sphere continuing to draw scrutiny.


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