By: Fern Sidman

Vice President J.D. Vance broke his silence Thursday night as tensions between President Donald Trump and former Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk reached a boiling point in a digital slugfest that has transfixed the political world and unsettled key factions of the Republican base.

“President Trump has done more than any person in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads,” Vance posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “I’m proud to stand beside him.”

As TIME.com reported, Vance’s statement — brief but firm — comes amid a cascade of accusations and recriminations flying between Trump and Musk, once political allies who now appear locked in open warfare. The dust-up began after Musk lambasted the administration’s flagship legislation, dubbed the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which includes sweeping tax reforms and funding increases for border security and military expansion. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO labeled it a “disgusting abomination,” launching a relentless social media campaign to derail the bill’s passage in the Senate.

The report at TIME.com detailed how Musk, who left his post at DOGE just last week, posted more than two dozen times slamming the bill, urging his followers to bombard lawmakers with calls to “kill the bill.” His campaign has drawn praise from libertarian and tech-aligned conservatives but has deeply angered the White House.

President Trump, responding during an Oval Office press availability alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said he was “very disappointed” in Musk, suggesting that the tech mogul had benefited greatly from Trump’s presidency and had turned on him for personal gain. “Elon knew we were going to roll back the EV mandate months ago. He was fine with it then,” Trump said, according to the report at TIME.com. “Now he’s just angry that he can’t force Americans to buy cars they don’t want.”

The war of words quickly turned personal. In one of the more incendiary moments, Musk suggested Trump was listed in the Jeffrey Epstein case files — a claim made without evidence. “That’s why they won’t release all the names,” Musk posted. Trump has not responded to that accusation directly but dismissed Musk as “wearing thin” and claimed to have asked him to leave his administration.

In a surprise twist, Musk then endorsed a post calling for Trump’s impeachment and floated J.D. Vance — the sitting Vice President — as the man who should replace him in the Oval Office. Musk followed up with a laughing emoji in response to a light-hearted comment Vance had made earlier in the day about his upcoming podcast appearance with Theo Von, implying amusement amid the political chaos.

The Vice President’s endorsement of Trump carries significant weight. Despite Musk’s flirtation with Vance as a possible successor, the Ohio conservative has remained unwaveringly loyal to Trump — a posture that may solidify his position as the likely heir apparent should Trump complete his second term, as was noted in the TIME.com report.

Behind the spectacle lies a deeper political drama: the fracturing of the Trump-era coalition that once united Silicon Valley billionaires, populist conservatives, and disaffected centrists under a shared vision of economic nationalism and anti-establishment governance. Musk’s defection — and his aggressive posture toward Trump’s legislative agenda — threatens to splinter that alliance, just as the administration gears up for major policy battles on Capitol Hill.

White House officials are now privately questioning whether Musk’s outbursts are part of a broader strategy to reassert influence over national tech policy after stepping down from DOGE, according to the information provided in the TIME.com report. Some believe the Tesla CEO’s attacks may be aimed at preserving investor confidence amid sharp downturns in Tesla stock, which has fallen more than 20% this year.

Whatever the motivations, one thing is clear: J.D. Vance is not budging.

In aligning himself publicly with the President, Vance not only affirmed his political loyalty but also distanced himself from Musk’s vision for a post-Trump conservative movement. As the report at TIME.com observed, this may be a defining moment in Vance’s vice presidency — one that could shape both his political future and the direction of the Republican Party.

The feud shows no sign of cooling. With each side digging in, the Trump-Musk fallout has become more than a clash of personalities. It’s emerging as a high-stakes battle for the soul of the GOP — and for now, J.D. Vance has chosen his side.