Now, in a political soap opera that could match Succession, U.S. Vice President JD Vance is openly courting Elon Musk, one of Donald Trump’s most well-known estranged allies! Despite the well-publicized conflict between the tech giant and former head of the Department of Government Efficiency and the Trump-led White House, Vance is hopeful for a midterm reconciliation.
In an interview, Vance said, “If you’re patriotic, you’re not trying to stick your knife in the president’s back.” Together, we must sort of win the entire movement. It’s time for a regroup under the MAGA banner, with or without lingering issues. That was JD Vance’s straightforward and timely political message to Elon Musk.
However, the rift is not merely an internal dispute. Its underpinnings were Elon Musk’s damaged ego, Donald Trump’s strict regulations, and the deadly chemistry between two haughty individuals who wanted to redefine the right wing.
The latest escalation came after Musk criticized Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, a comprehensive tax and spending plan that eliminated clean energy incentives and electric vehicle subsidies—the cornerstones of Musk’s business.
Instead of viewing it as a political slur, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla saw it as a direct hit to his business model.
Donald Trump, who never backs down, said that Elon Musk’s companies were effectively charity cases, saying that SpaceX, Tesla, and Starlink might not even exist without Washington’s financial favors. Trump went on in his usual fashion, stating that Musk will most likely have to shut down and return to South Africa.
Steve Bannon fueled the flames by labeling Musk a dangerous foreigner and even suggesting that SpaceX may be nationalized to safeguard American interests. Bannon contends that Musk’s inclination toward techno-libertarianism is not revolutionary.
There is a lot of infighting within MAGA, which should cause the cult to collapse. Elon Musk has long campaigned for Steve Bannon to return to prison and has now referred to him as an obese, inebriated slob.image.twitter.com/DeRSySz8B4
July 5, 2025, Mike Sington (@MikeSington)
In response to X, Elon Musk called Bannon a traitor to reason and even suggested reviving his mocking America Party, a political experiment aimed at uniting Silicon Valley libertarians, suburban engineers, technocrats, and crypto evangelists to create a force that stops Trump-style radical thinking.
JD Vance has strategically positioned himself as the man with the olive branch in the midst of this political firestorm.
Before acknowledging that the crisis between the Tesla CEO and the Trump White House was still very much alive, he made a joke about Musk possibly not even answering his phone. “I was kidding,” he responded hastily.
“My hope is that by the time of the midterms, he’s kind of come back into the fold,” JD Vance said, framing the feud as a small issue in context to the movement’s broader mission. Donald Trump also credited Elon Musk for helping Republicans win earlier elections, which is consistent with his acknowledgment that Musk’s annoyances are partly to blame for their disputes.
All of this has a hidden meaning: losing Elon Musk to political exile would be a strategic mistake because he is still a key component of the GOP’s high-stakes midterm campaign.
Oh no! In a desperate attempt to attract Trump’s attention, JD Vance jumps higher than Elon Musk:oBfpI3NJL4 https://t.co/zXJWRdr08Qpic.twitter.com
November 25, 2024, Reductress (@Reductress)
Musk is the only one who knows if he will answer. His recent remarks demonstrate how comfortable he is acting as a political free agent and using his media and technology platforms to influence people outside of the traditional party system.
Even still, the MAGA movement feels Musk is too strong and well-connected to be disregarded, which makes JD Vance’s invitation telling. If he returns to the organization, it might be a sign of a strategic consolidation before the midterms. If not, the Trump-Musk dispute is probably going to keep garnering more media coverage than any policy successes.
Only the railroads now have Wi-Fi! This kind of billionaire drama was last seen in American politics during the Gilded Age.
