Elon Musk is considering backing Vice President JD Vance in the 2028 presidential election, according to reports on the billionaire’s political movements.
The tech CEO formed a new party and pledged to contest both Republicans and Democrats at the 2026 midterms, but his relationship with Vance, who considers Musk a personal friend, may not be as damaged as it seems.
Newsweek has contacted Musk via email to the X press office for comment.
Why It Matters
With Trump constitutionally ineligible to run for a third term, Vance is the closest thing the GOP has to an heir apparent. As Trump’s vice president, he is a favorite take the Republican nomination in the next presidential election, though 2028 remains a long way off.
Musk, who campaigned prominently with the Republican ticket last year, has claimed credit for Trump’s 2024 victory, and while some in the White House may disagree, Musk’s $300 million-deep pockets would be a significant asset in 2028, regardless of who runs.
What To Know
Vance, who has described Musk as a “very good friend,” had hoped for a reconciliation between the billionaire and the White House at the height of their feud in June.
Now, the vice president’s wish may have come true as Musk is considering rolling back his pledge to contest Republican seats in Congress and supporting Vance in a 2028 run, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
Musk has been “focused in part on maintaining ties” with Vance, sources close to him told the outlet. While Musk announced plans in July to form an America Party, which could split Republican votes in close seats in 2026, he has since expressed concern that his support for the party would damage his relationship with the vice president, The Wall Street Journal reported.
He has also expressed interest in using his finances to back Vance should he run in 2028, the outlet said.
Musk responded to the report on Wednesday, writing on X, “Nothing @WSJ says should ever be thought of as true.”
Musk and Vance remained cordial even when Musk was feuding with the White House over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with Vance being one of the only figures in the Trump administration that did not draw Musk’s ire on social media.
When Musk departed from the White House in May, Vance said in a Newsmax interview: “I am going to miss him. Elon’s become a very good friend over the campaign and certainly over his time in Washington. He and his kids have come to our house and had dinner with our kids. I’m very close to him.”
The two have moved in the same groups for years, with both of them, alongside other members of Trump’s inner circle, having a close relationship with venture capitalist Peter Thiel.
Vance is something of a protégé to Thiel, who pushed him to run for the Senate in Ohio and later introduced him to Trump at Mar-a-Lago in a 2021 meeting Thiel set up.
Musk and Thiel are both members of the “PayPal mafia,” a group of investors named after the company they cofounded. They also share many views on the development of tech in the future of humanity.
What People Are Saying
Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with Theo Von in June, during the height of Musk’s anger with Trump: “I’m the vice president to President Trump. My loyalty is always going to be with him. I think that Elon is an incredible entrepreneur. He’s done a lot. I think DOGE was really good. This effort to root out waste, fraud and abuse in our country was really good.
“Look man, I’m always going to be loyal to the president, and I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe that’s not possible because he’s gone so nuclear, but I hope it is.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether Musk will proceed with his America Party. If Vance intends to run in 2028, he likely won’t announce for quite some time.
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