Vice President J.D. Vance addressed reports on Wednesday suggesting that President Donald Trump was dissatisfied with billionaire Elon Musk’s involvement in the administration and that Musk might be planning to step back from his role. In an interview with Fox News, Vance dismissed these claims as “total fake news,” referring specifically to a Politico article that alleged Trump had privately expressed concerns about Musk’s future in the administration.
Vance clarified that Musk was appointed as a special advisor for a six-month initiative focused on streamlining government operations and reducing bureaucracy. While the role has a 130-day limit, set to expire in late May or early June, Vance assured that Musk would continue to provide advice to the administration beyond that timeframe. “We said that’s going to take about six months, and that’s what Elon signed up for, but of course, he’s going to continue to be an advisor,” Vance stated, emphasizing that the work of the DOGE initiative (which stands for the Department of Government Efficiency) would continue even after Musk’s official term ends.
Vance praised Musk for his efforts in eliminating “fraudulent grants” within the federal government and addressing issues related to the Social Security system. He expressed confidence that the work initiated by Musk would persist, stating, “DOGE has got a lot of work to do, and that work is going to continue after Elon leaves.”
Despite Musk’s significant contributions, he has faced backlash from the left due to his aggressive cuts to federal programs and grants favored by Democrats. This criticism has led to some unease among Republicans, with a few urging Trump to distance himself from Musk. However, sources close to the situation have labeled rumors of a rift between Musk and Trump as “garbage” and “fake news.”
Musk himself responded to the situation by retweeting a post from the press secretary, stating, “Yeah, fake news.”
In a related incident, a fake recording purportedly featuring Vance criticizing Musk went viral on social media. William Martin, Vance’s communications director, confirmed that the recording was not real and was generated by AI. Vance also addressed the fake video on X, calling it a “fake AI-generated clip” and suggesting that the individual who shared it lacked the intelligence to recognize its falsity. He warned that failure to delete the misleading content could lead to defamation claims.
The rise of AI-generated content has raised concerns about misinformation, as the quality of such fake audio and video continues to improve. The specific recording in question had garnered significant attention, with millions of views across various platforms, despite its dubious authenticity.
