JD Vance commented on the live exchange between Trump and Musk on a podcast

The Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, described the confrontation betweenElon Musk and President Donald Trump as a major mistake, amid a public dispute that has escalated on social media.

During an interview with comedian Theo Von on his popular podcast "This Past Weekend," published on Saturday but recorded the previous Thursday, Vance expressed his concern about the conflict between the tech magnate and the president.

"Elon is entitled to his opinion," Vance said, referring to Musk's recent criticism of the Trump administration and, in particular, the bill supported by the president known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." Nevertheless, the Vice President emphasized that it is not advisable for "the richest man in the world" to be at war with "the most powerful man in the world."

Vance insisted that Musk has been one of the most transformative entrepreneurs of his generation, but he stressed that the confrontation doesn't benefit the country. "I'm not saying he has to agree with everything, but is this war really in the country's interest? I don't think so," he stated. He also added that he hopes Musk will reconsider and return.

In his conversation with Von, Vance also defended President Trump, stating that he has done more than anyone else in his life to "earn the trust of the movement he leads." He reiterated his support for the president in a post on the social network X, where he wrote: "I'm proud to stand by his side."

The tension between Trump and Musk intensified after the entrepreneur made disparaging remarks about the president and endorsed a post on X suggesting replacing Trump with JD Vance through impeachment.

Commentator Ian Miles Cheong posted: "President vs Elon. Who wins? I bet on Elon. Trump should be removed and JD Vance should replace him." To which Musk replied: "Yes."

Despite the confrontational tone, Vance assured that Trump has been "very measured" in his reactions, although he acknowledged that the president has felt frustrated by Musk's unfair criticism.

The podcast episode also served as a platform for Vance to get increasingly closer to the electorate, taking advantage of Von's broad reach, who had already interviewed both Trump and Vance himself during the 2024 election campaign. Trump's appearance on the program, in August 2024, garnered nearly 17 million views on YouTube.

Von has also shown closeness to Trump, attending his inauguration and recently appearing at a U.S. military base in Qatar, where the president spoke to troops and their families.