Earlier this month, Politico reported that Elon Musk told current and former members of DOGE that the US was on the brink of a "great 12-year span" encompassing President Trump's second term followed by two terms of JD Vance. That is quite a turnaround from Musk's falling out with Trump in June and his threats to form a third party. How to explain the repaired relationship with the White House? In a deeply reported story, the Washington Post chalks it up to Vance. According to more than a dozen people familiar with the discussions, the vice president spent months on the phone this year trying to stop Musk from launching a new "America Party," which Trump allies feared would fracture the GOP and jeopardize Republicans in 2026 and beyond.
The diplomacy seems to have worked. Musk shelved the party plan, reappeared at the White House in November for a dinner with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and, after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, began signaling renewed interest in backing Republicans in the midterms. People familiar with his political operation say Musk is now weighing a strategy of quietly funding existing GOP-aligned groups instead of fronting his own super PAC. Yet allies on both sides describe the Trump–Musk peace as tenuous, noting Musk's taste for public confrontation and policy demands that track his own views.
The reconciliation underscores how much is at stake for Vance. He talks regularly with Musk, who sees him as a plausible 2028 presidential contender. Their partnership could extend the reach of tech moguls inside a future Republican administration, though the Post notes it's a delicate balance for Vance: He faces ongoing criticism that his ties to billionaires undercut his populist image. Read the full story.
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