JD Vance breaks silence on Musk-Trump row leaving one of them in stitches

Donald Trump and Elon Musk no longer see eye to a (Image: Getty)

JD Vance has offered his first public response to the escalating spat between Donald Trump and Elon Musk in a move which appears to have amused the tech billionaire. The US President and the Tesla and SpaceX boss have been locked in an increasingly bitter war of words which has been playing out on social media over the last 24 hours.

The row was triggered by Donald Trump's public criticism of Mr Musk's opposition to the 'One Big Beautiful Bill', with the 78-year-old expressing disappointment and suggesting Mr Musk's disapproval stemmed from personal grievances over the bill's cuts to electric vehicle subsidies. The US Vice President, posting on X, which is owned by Mr Musk himself, commented: "Slow news day, what are we even going to talk about? @TheoVon." The comedian replied: "We will think of somethin'."

Mr Musk then weighed in by sharing a laughing emoticon.

The spat between Mr Trump and Mr Musk had escalated significantly since the President’s Oval Office press conference on Thursday, with the latter accusing the former of being named in the unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files, alleging this connection was why the documents had not been made public.

His accusation led to a drop in the stock prices of Mr Trump's media company and his cryptocurrency, $TRUMP. Mr Musk also announced plans to decommission SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, a move which could impact US missions to the International Space Station - although he later rowed back on this threat.

The conflict has not only strained their personal relationship but also affected financial markets, with Tesla's stock experiencing a significant decline.

US Vice President JD Vance (Image: Getty)

Mr Musk's role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he led to implement federal spending cuts, has also come under scrutiny, especially as the bill's provisions contradict some of DOGE's objectives.

Adding fuel to the fire, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon weighed in with a sharp attack on Musk, suggesting that the tech CEO should be deported due to his outspoken criticism of Trump and the bill.

Bannon told a podcast audience that Mr Musk, who was born in South Africa, "doesn’t have America’s best interests at heart" and questioned his loyalty, arguing that his actions were undermining conservative causes.

Mr Bannon’s comments further illustrate how Musk’s increasingly prominent role in political debates is dividing opinion within right-wing circles.

The threat of deportation, though unlikely to be pursued seriously, underscores the heightened tensions and personal animosities surrounding the ongoing Musk-Trump feud.

Separately, JD Vance has previously been critical of Mr Trump himself, even drawing controversy by comparing some of Trump’s tactics to those of Adolf Hitler, particularly in terms of exploiting grievances and divisive rhetoric to gain support.

Mr Vance even called himself a “never Trump guy” and referred to his current boss as an “idiot” before his dramatic conversion.