Vice President J.D. Vance has weighed in for the first time on the intensifying clash between President Donald Trump and former ally Elon Musk. Posting on X Thursday night, Vance defended Trump, stating, “President Trump has done more than anyone in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads,” adding, “I’m proud to stand beside him.”
His remarks followed Musk’s indirect mention of Vance earlier that day, when he replied “yes” to a post suggesting Trump should be impeached and that Vance should take his place in the White House. Musk also responded with a laughing emoji to a separate post from Vance joking about having little to discuss in an upcoming podcast interview with Theo Vaughn, calling it a “slow news day.”
The ongoing feud between Trump and Musk erupted after Musk denounced Trump’s proposed “Big, Beautiful Bill” as a “disgusting abomination” and called on Americans to pressure lawmakers to block it. Trump responded by expressing disappointment and accusing Musk of ungratefulness, while Musk escalated tensions by suggesting Trump’s name appears in the unreleased Epstein files—though he offered no evidence.
As the online back-and-forth grows increasingly personal and public, Vance’s late-night message clearly aligns him with Trump, distancing himself from Musk despite previous ties.
