Following a very public split between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, US vice president JD Vance has voiced strong support for Trump, praising his leadership and expressing pride in standing by him.
“President Trump has done more than any person in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads. I'm proud to stand beside him,” Vance posted on X, as tensions between Trump and Musk boiled online.
The rift follows a turbulent week that saw Trump praising Musk in glowing terms at a White House event, only to turn on him days later over disagreements on a massive government spending bill. The two had appeared united when Musk stepped down from his role at the Department of Government Efficiency last Friday. At the time, Trump called Musk “one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced.”
But things quickly unravelled. By Tuesday, Musk publicly attacked Trump’s budget deal on X, calling it a “disgusting abomination” and accusing Congress of betrayal.
Tensions peaked Thursday when Trump admitted their relationship might be over. “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” he told reporters while meeting the German chancellor.
The verbal clash escalated online, with Musk accusing Trump of ingratitude and boasting about his $250 million in political donations. He further claimed, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” adding that Trump was only upset because of changes to electric vehicle policies that hurt Tesla’s interests.
Trump retaliated on Truth Social, claiming he had revoked Musk’s “EV mandate” and threatened to cut off government subsidies and contracts to Musk’s companies.
Furthermore, Musk alleged that Trump’s name appears in the sealed Epstein files and agreed with an X user who called for Trump’s impeachment and replacement by Vice President JD Vance.
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