‘He's gone so nuclear': Vance isn't sure Musk could rejoin the MAGA fold
Vice President JD Vance said he wasn't sure Elon Musk could ever get back into the good graces of President Donald Trump, after the two men's relationship blew up earlier this week.
The vice president was forced to respond in real time to Musk's Thursday barrage of social media posts attacking Trump — including the allegations that the president was on 'the Epstein files,' referring to the sex predator Jeffrey Epstein — as he was taping a podcast.
In the interview released Saturday, Vance told podcaster Theo Von that it was a 'big mistake' for Musk to attack the president.
'I'm always going to be loyal to the president, and I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold,' Vance said, sitting in front of a painting of the president. 'Maybe that's not possible now because he's gone so nuclear.'
In the last several days, the relationship between Musk and Trump has imploded after the former Department of Government Efficiency chief unleashed a broadside of attacks against the president, including highlighting his connections with Epstein and implying that he should be impeached.
It has long been known that Trump and prominent politicians are referenced in documents released in court cases surrounding Epstein. But Trump is not accused of any wrongdoing linked to Epstein.
Musk has been vocal in his opposition of the Trump-backed spending bill, which he argues will increase the nation's deficit. But the two exchanged fire earlier this week, with Trump also threatening Musk's government contracts, suggesting the world's richest man has 'lost his mind' and insisting he was moving on from him.
Many Republicans have rallied to Trump's defense, suggesting they are taking his side in the fight — including Vance.
'If he and the president are in some blood feud, most importantly it's going to be bad for the country, but I don't think it's going to be good for Elon either,' Vance told Von.
Musk has since deleted the original post accusing Trump of being on the 'Epstein list,' but has continued alluding to it in additional posts.
'I just think it's a huge mistake for the world's wealthiest man … to be at this war with the world's most powerful man,' Vance said on the podcast.
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