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Elon Musk’s backing highlights alignment on issues like free speech and Ukraine aid.
Elon Musk, the tech mogul and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has publicly stated that Vice President J.D. Vance is “our future President,” sparking discussion about Vance’s potential presidential aspirations.
Musk’s comment followed an X post about the tense exchange between Vance and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding free speech during their Oval Office meeting on Thursday.
While Starmer was meeting with President Donald Trump and other officials, Vance defended his views on digital censorship, reiterating comments from the Munich Security Conference the previous month.
“We also know there have been infringements on free speech that affect not just the British,” Vance stated. “Of course, what the British do in their own country is up to them, but it also impacts American technology companies and, by extension, American citizens.”
Starmer countered Vance’s concerns, asserting that free speech is well-protected in the UK. “We’ve had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom, and it will last for a very, very long time,” the Labour leader said.
“Best VP ever and our future President,” Musk posted on X on Friday.
Musk has been openly critical of Starmer and often agrees with Vance on key foreign policy issues, notably free speech and American aid to Ukraine.
Musk’s endorsement comes after Vance and Trump had a tense exchange with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at an Oval Office meeting on Friday. Vance, addressing Zelensky first, criticized Zelensky’s recent public appearances emphasizing war devastation, accusing him of leading “propaganda tours,” and calling the Ukrainian leader “disrespectful.”
This confrontation shortened the day’s schedule, and Trump reportedly dismissed Zelensky, telling him to return when he was “ready to pursue peace.” Musk added that the Ukrainian leader had “destroyed himself in the eyes of the American people” in a post on X.
Musk, appointed to lead DOGE when Trump assumed office in January, is responsible for streamlining government operations and reducing federal spending. This endorsement of Vance is his second expression of support in recent weeks, having previously posted: “Best VP ever and hopefully our future President.”
Vance, 40, is the third-youngest vice president in US history. His relationship with Trump has changed significantly since Trump’s first term. Initially a critic of Trump, opposing his 2016 candidacy and calling him “cultural heroin” for conservatives while questioning his character, Vance later shifted his position. He secured Trump’s endorsement in his successful 2022 Ohio Senate campaign, solidifying his position within Trump’s inner circle.