Vice president brushes off Trump-Musk clash with humour

As tensions escalated between President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk during a fiery Oval Office exchange on June 5, Vice President J.D. Vance took a lighter tone on social media, dismissing the drama with a dose of humour and reaffirming his loyalty to the president.

“Slow news day, what are we even going to talk about?” Vance quipped on X, posting a photo alongside comedian Theo Von. The light-hearted remark drew a laughing emoji from Musk himself, who had been at the center of a heated confrontation with Trump just hours earlier.

In a follow-up post, Vance shifted from levity to loyalty, praising Trump’s leadership and legacy. 

“President Trump has done more than any person in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads. I'm proud to stand beside him,” Vance wrote.

The vice president’s comments came as Trump and Musk’s once-cordial relationship erupted into public acrimony. During an Oval Office meeting with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump expressed frustration over Musk’s recent criticism of his administration’s policies, including legislation that once benefited Tesla. The president also dismissed claims that Musk's financial backing was critical to his 2024 election victory, suggesting instead that Musk’s shift in tone was driven by Tesla’s vulnerability to Republican plans to cut electric vehicle tax credits.

The fallout marked a sharp departure from the friendly send-off Musk received just a week earlier, when his 130-day stint as a “special government employee” ended with ceremonial fanfare and a symbolic golden key to the White House.

“Elon and I had a great relationship,” Trump said on June 5.

By Sabina Mammadli