JD Vance watched the Twitter (X) feud between Elon Musk and Donald Trump unfold on Thursday (June 5) with a mix of concern and disbelief. As vice president, Vance had witnessed plenty of political spats, but this one—pitting the world’s richest man against the President of the United States—was different, a public spectacle with potentially real consequences.
When Musk unleashed a barrage of posts attacking Trump, calling his flagship spending bill a “disgusting abomination” and even suggesting impeachment, Vance felt compelled to respond. In an interview released Friday (June 6), he called Musk’s attacks a “huge mistake,” warning that such public infighting would only deepen divisions and harm the country.
Yet Vance didn’t just scold Musk; he tried to downplay the tech mogul’s outburst, describing him as an “emotional guy” frustrated by the political process and the intense scrutiny his businesses faced.
“I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold,” Vance admitted. “Maybe that’s not possible now because he’s gone so nuclear,” hinting at the difficulty of mending fences after such a dramatic fallout. Despite his loyalty to Trump, Vance acknowledged Musk’s business acumen and the challenges that come with being thrust into the political spotlight.
As other Republicans urged reconciliation, Vance’s message was clear: high-profile feuds like this were a distraction and a mistake, especially when the stakes for the party—and the country—were so high.
In the end, Vance’s attempt to broker peace may have been as much about protecting the GOP’s future as it was about defending Trump. But as the dust settled, one thing was certain: calling the Musk-Trump fight a “huge mistake” was Vance’s way of urging both men to remember what was truly at stake.
In a since-deleted tweet, Elon Musk proclaimed it was “time to drop the really big bomb” and proceeded to write, “@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!” He added, “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out,” which Vance denied.
It was international news and, depending on political affiliations, people were either celebrating the implosion or scoffing at Musk’s allegations. The feud between the two was primarily triggered by Musk’s vocal criticism of Trump’s flagship legislative initiative, the so-called “big, beautiful bill.”
The bill, which includes massive tax cuts, reductions in Medicaid and other social programs as well as increased funding for Trump’s priorities like border security, is projected by the Congressional Budget Office to significantly increase the national deficit.