Vice President JD Vance is urging restraint amid the deepening feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, warning that the high-profile clash between the world’s most powerful political leader and the world’s richest man risks harming the country if allowed to escalate unchecked.
Vance addressed the matter in an episode of This Past Weekend with Theo Von, recorded Thursday as the row was intensifying. Musk had earlier denounced Trump’s signature infrastructure and manufacturing bill as a “disgusting abomination,” prompting a wave of online backlash and a forceful response from the president during a White House event with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“I think it’s a huge mistake for him to go after the president like that,” Vance said, emphasizing that while Musk is free to disagree, the public nature of the fight was damaging. “I’m not saying he has to agree with everything… I just think it’s a huge mistake for the world’s wealthiest man… to be at war with the world’s most powerful man.”
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Vance acknowledged Trump had grown “a little frustrated” by Musk’s criticism but insisted the conflict could still be defused, calling it “bad for the country” and urging Musk to “come back into the fold.”
The spat, which began with policy criticism, soon spiraled into personal jabs. Trump, while initially muted, fired back Thursday, saying Musk had benefited enormously from the administration’s support.
“I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot,” Trump said, adding that Musk “never had a problem” with the bill while working closely with the administration, only to turn critical after stepping down from his advisory role.
Musk then launched a volley of posts on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the president of ingratitude and claiming Trump would have lost the 2024 election without his help. The billionaire even warned of “misleading spin” and hinted at deeper issues, before later deleting a controversial post in which he suggested Trump appeared in sealed Jeffrey Epstein files—implying that was why the documents hadn’t been made public. While the post was later taken down, it added fuel to a growing fire and drew sharp reactions online.
Business Titans Weigh In
The public feud has alarmed several prominent figures in business and tech, prompting calls for both sides to stand down.
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman took to X to express support for both Trump and Musk, urging them to resolve their differences for the sake of national stability.
“We are much stronger together than apart,” Ackman wrote in a widely shared post. “Make peace for the benefit of our country.” Musk, in a notable shift in tone, replied, “You’re not wrong.”
Ackman has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s 2024 re-election bid, and his comments suggest a growing concern within elite financial circles over the public brawl between two of the country’s most influential figures.
Paul Graham, cofounder of Y Combinator and a revered figure in Silicon Valley, also weighed in on the matter: “A lot of people seem to be treating this as if it were just a beef. But the underlying allegation is a very serious one. If it’s true, Trump is surely going to have to resign,” he said.
Graham didn’t clarify which allegation he was referring to, but his comment is believed to be about the Epstein file.
Signs of a Thaw
Despite the heated exchange, there were signs late Friday that both parties were seeking to ease tensions. The White House’s rapid response team posted a clip of Trump aboard Air Force One, saying, “I wish Elon well.” Musk responded hours later with a one-word post: “Likewise.”
Though brief, the exchange suggested both men were open to cooling the rhetoric, particularly as pressure mounted from allies and business leaders to lower the temperature.
Musk had responded with “You’re not wrong,” when Ackman called on the two to put aside their differences and “make peace for the benefit of our country.”
The dispute, while personal on the surface, has far-reaching implications. Trump and Musk had cultivated a working alliance since Musk’s endorsement of Trump’s 2024 campaign. Their partnership represented a potent combination of political influence and technological power—one that could shape everything from energy and infrastructure policy to AI regulation and space exploration.
Now, the split threatens to fracture that alignment. Trump, whose administration has been heavily invested in anti-environmental policies, also hinted at reviewing Musk’s federal contracts in response to the Tesla CEO’s criticisms.
Vance, trying to keep the damage contained, said both Trump and Musk play critical roles in America’s future.