Vice President Vance voiced loyalty to President Trump while acknowledging Elon Musk’s frustration with the Republican budget bill, describing Musk’s criticism as "understandable." Vance’s comments, made on social media and during a podcast appearance with comedian Theo Von, occurred during a period of escalating tensions between Trump and Musk. The interview took place on Thursday, with Von and Vance posting about their conversation on social media that day. "My loyalties are always going to be with the president," Vance told Von. But he also praised Musk as an "incredible entrepreneur," noting the "DOGE" cost-cutting effort and its aim to root out waste and fraud. DOGE, launched by the Trump administration with Musk’s leadership, remains active despite Musk’s departure from government. Musk, posting on X (formerly Twitter), expressed continued opposition to the budget, arguing it would lead to unsustainable U.S. debt. He even called for the creation of a new political party, representing the "80% in the middle." Trump, meanwhile, defended his budget, dismissing concerns about deficits. He criticized Musk’s actions, stating, "He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that." Vance acknowledged Musk’s frustration, stating, "I get the frustration there. It’s a good bill, it’s not a perfect bill. The process in D.C., if you’re a business leader, you probably get frustrated with that process." Vance highlighted Musk’s past support and expressed concern about Musk’s recent, aggressive criticism, including calls for Trump’s impeachment and linking him to Jeffrey Epstein. He emphatically denied any wrongdoing by Trump regarding Epstein. "Absolutely not. Donald Trump didn't do anything wrong with Jeffrey Epstein," Vance asserted.

Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon echoed this sentiment, stating the rift between Musk and the MAGA movement is "permanently damaged." Trump warned Musk of potential consequences if he supported Democratic candidates. Musk’s companies, including SpaceX, rely heavily on federal contracts and subsidies. Vance acknowledged the potential for a "blood feud" between the two men to be detrimental to the country and Elon Musk. The relationship has been further complicated by Musk’s use of his social media platform X to promote conservative causes and as a major campaign donor to Trump. Vance concluded by stating, "I think that if [Musk] 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." The situation remains complex, considering Musk’s significant influence and dependence on U.S. government support."