How JD Vance is embracing a new ‘peacekeeper’ role between Trump, Musk and other top advisors

As the battle between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump escalated on social media on Friday, the president pulled Vice President JD Vance aside to coordinate their response.

Vance was preparing a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, for an interview with podcast comedian Theo Von, and wanted to be prepared for the proper response to Musk.

While the president took a harder edge against Musk on social media and while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he wanted the vice president to be more diplomatic, sources familiar with the exchange told the Daily Mail.

By the time he entered the podcast studio in Nashville, however, the feud had escalated to new heights.

As Von described it to Vance, ‘the fu**ing s**t missile is in the cannon.’

Von’s audience was captivated as they watched Vance confronted in real time with posts from Musk declaring that Trump’s name was in the Epstein files and even endorsed posts on X calling for Trump to be impeached to make him the president.

Vance dismissed Musk’s claim as ‘totally BS’ and affirmed he would remain loyal to the president first.

At the same time, however, he praised Musk as ‘incredible entrepreneur’ and ‘really good’ even though he said it was a ‘huge mistake’ for him to go after the president that way.

President Donald Trump chats briefly with Vice President JD Vance outside of the Oval Office 

Happier times as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, right, speaks with Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio back stage on the campaign trail 

But the vice president was also optimistic that Musk could patch up his relationship with Trump.

‘I hope that eventually Elon kind of comes back into the fold,’ he said.

Vance was puzzled by the exchanges but made excuses for Musk’s behavior, describing him as ‘an emotional guy’ and whose ‘heart is in the right place.’

By Friday, Vance joined White House chief of staff Susie Wiles to speak with Musk to help smooth things over after the very public blowup.

‘The last four months of my life I’ve probably had a hundred calls with Elon Musk,’ he confirmed to reporters after Musk admitted publicly that some of his attacks on Trump had gone ‘too far.’

For Vance, a natural successor to Trump, it made sense to heal the relationship with the world’s richest man if he ever wants to be president. 

But Vance indicated he really wanted to heal the relationship for the good of the country and for the good of his friend. 

‘I think that if he 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,’ he said to Von. 

It was a rare display of diplomacy for the vice president, who spends a lot of his time on the global stage picking fights with journalists and politicians like Gavin Newsom on social media.

But his longstanding relationship with Musk helped smooth over the very public blowup with the president.

Vance first met Musk in June 2023, according to reports, as they were introduced by tech investor David Sacks, long before the native son of Ohio kicked off his political career by running for senate.

Musk also reportedly supported Vance as his preferred candidate for Trump’s running mate, describing him as the ‘smartest’ of the potential vice presidents.

In the early days of the administration, Musk praised Vance on social media as the ‘Best VP ever and our future President.’

Vance began his vice presidency in a very public blowup during the Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky and famously scolded Europe for their failure to commit to free speech. 

His trip to Greenland was less than diplomatic, as he delivered the unpopular message to the island that it was time to team up with the United States.  

But in recent weeks, the vice president’s job has required him to be more of a diplomat.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance disembark Air Force Two

Vice President JD Vance on board Air Force Two

On Tuesday, residents of Butte Montana was surprised to see Air Force Two land at their small airport and a motorcade for the vice president was spotted driving out into the country.

As tensions between Iran and Israel escalated, Vance visited the Murdoch Ranch in Dillon Montana, roughly 70 miles south.

Vance met with Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch and a group of other Fox News executives for dinner, according to reports.

The diplomatic visit took place even after his political advisors chaffed as Murdoch’s media outlets were highly critical of his political record in the Summer 2024 as President Trump was still ruminating on his choice for vice president.

It was no secret that Murdoch wanted to see former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to be Trump’s choice, as his media outlets spent significant resources criticizing Vance’s anti-war views.

The vice president’s office did not respond to the Daily Mail’s requests for comment.

Although Vance’s time in the Senate was short, he developed many relationships that have served the Trump administration well.

His personal touch with his former senate colleagues helped sooth some of the concerns that they had with the president’s more controversial picks for his cabinet.

Vance meets with Modi in India alongside his family

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) hosting US Vice President JD Vance (2L), wife Usha Vance (L back) and their children Mirabel (C), Ewan (2R) and Vivek at his residence in New Delhi

Prior to his departure for Montana, JD Vance traveled to Capitol Hill on Tuesday meet with Republican senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

Johnson was unhappy with the president’s Big Beautiful Bill that was currently in negotiations with the Senate, but after Vance met wit the senator, the White House signaled they were more optimistic about getting him on board.

Unlike the president’s movements, Vance’s schedule remains mostly private allowing him to have the flexibility to have private meetings and move more quickly with his travel.

The job also runs into unexpected territory.

Just weeks after visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his wife and children, Vance found himself contacting Modi to help ward off a war between Pakistan and India.

In June, Vance also met with an all-party delegation from India to discuss ongoing tensions with Pakistan and possible business opportunities.

Vance also met with political activist Laura Loomer, and although the contents of the meeting remained private, there were no political fireworks after the meeting, suggesting their exchange was cordial enough to stay out of the headlines.

Pope Leo XIV holds a private audience with US Vice President J.D. Vance

Secretary Marco Rubio, with his wife Jeanette Dousdebes (right), and Vice President JD Vance, with his wife Usha Vance, meet with Pope Leo XIV in the Holy See in Vatican

When the Papal conclave resulted in the election of Pope Leo XIV, an American, Trump asked Vance to lead the American delegation.

Despite the pope’s previous criticism of both Vance and Trump on social media, the delegation was successful as a smiling Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio posed for pictures with the American pontiff.

Unlike many modern vice presidents who can go days without hearing directly from the president, Vance frequently communicates with Trump, people familiar with his interactions with the president say.

Vance is careful about not stepping out ahead of the president, and remaining tactful in his communications about what he is thinking.

His role as a jack-of-all trades vice president continues, as he continues his work confident that he has the president’s trust.

‘I know the president pretty well and I knew that he had a lot of trust in me, the role of the vice president is very derivative of what the president is doing,’ Vance told Von while discussing his job. 

‘So if the president has trust in you and gives you a task and just lets you go and do it, that’s kind of what your job is.’