Vice President Vance Backs Trump Amid Musk Criticism

Vice President JD Vance has expressed his support for President Donald Trump following remarks made by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Vance spoke during an appearance on Theo Von’s podcast, where he addressed Musk’s claims about Trump being linked to the Epstein Files.

“First off, that’s not true. Donald Trump had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Whatever the media and Democrats say, it’s complete nonsense,” Vance stated.

“To be clear, I’m Trump’s vice president. My loyalty is with him. Elon is quite the entrepreneur—Doge has been good, and I appreciate efforts to reduce waste and fraud. I’ll always stand by the President and hope that Elon can come around again. I realize things seem complicated now, but I remain optimistic.”

Musk recently expressed his discontent with Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” after the House narrowly passed it, with a vote count of 215-214-1 in May. This tax cut package builds on a previous cut from 2017, impacting funding for various programs including defense and border security.

When discussing the bill, Vance remarked, “I think it’s beneficial for Americans. I respect Elon’s viewpoint; he doesn’t have to agree with everything I say. Differences are natural.” He added, “You know, just a year ago, I faced difficulties during the campaign, but I got back on track quickly. If you look at what we’ve achieved, especially in trade, it speaks volumes about the administration’s efforts.”

On the day of the podcast, Vance was with Trump during the initial exchange between the president and Musk, with Trump advising Vance to remain diplomatic in his public statements about Musk.

In a follow-up, White House Principal Harrison Fields noted that Musk’s criticisms stem from his corporate interests. “There’s no animosity between this White House and Elon Musk. Our priorities might not align, but we recognize his perspective,” he said.

After his election in November, Trump has discussed the potential cancellation of government subsidies concerning Musk, indicating some frustration over perceived ingratitude from Musk.

The news outlet also published an article outlining reasons for Americans to be cautious about trusting Musk compared to Trump.