ISTANBUL 

US Vice President JD Vance reaffirmed his loyalty to President Trump while also expressing gratitude to billionaire Elon Musk and understanding of the American business magnate's criticism of Trump's expansive budget proposal.

Vance made these remarks in a podcast interview with comedian Theo Von, which was released on Saturday.

Vance shared his thoughts as tensions between Trump and Musk intensified throughout the week, appearing to seek a middle ground. The interview was reportedly recorded on Thursday, with both Von and Vance posting about it on social media the same day.

"My loyalties are always going to be with the president," Vance told Von, while also describing Musk as an "incredible entrepreneur."

Responding to Musk’s clash with Trump, Vance commended his work to eliminate “waste, fraud, and abuse” through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

However, he also portrayed Musk as an emotional figure—an entrepreneur growing increasingly frustrated with the realities of political life.

“Elon’s new to politics, right? So, his businesses are being attacked nonstop. They’re literally, like, firebombing some of his cars,” Vance said, referring to incidents of vandalism targeting Tesla cars and facilities.

“I think part of it is this guy got into politics and has suffered a lot for it.”

Vance said that he understands the frustration, saying on "The One, Big, Beautiful Bill," which is at the heart of Trump and Musk's feud: "It's a good bill."

"It’s not a perfect bill, like the process of DC; if you’re a business leader, you probably get frustrated with that process because it’s more, you know, bureaucratic, it’s more slow-moving.”

Vance explained that he believes "it's a huge mistake" for Musk to "go after the president like that," warning that a serious feud between them would not only harm the country but would also likely backfire on Musk himself.

"I hope that eventually Elon kind of comes back into the fold. Maybe that's not possible now because he's gone so nuclear," he added.

The public dispute between Trump and Musk erupted on Thursday after the president blasted the billionaire for opposing a Republican policy measure due to its projected impact on the deficit. The clash quickly escalated, sparking fallout in Congress and affecting Tesla’s stock.