Elon Musk Calls for Trump’s Impeachment, Endorses VP J.D. Vance as Successor Amid Escalating Feud
In a dramatic escalation of tensions between two of the most influential figures in American politics and business, Elon Musk has publicly supported the impeachment of President Donald Trump and called for his replacement by Vice President J.D. Vance.
The stunning moment unfolded on X (formerly Twitter) after conservative commentator Ian Miles Cheong posed the hypothetical question:
“President vs Elon. Who wins? My money’s on Elon. Trump should be impeached and JD Vance should replace him.”
Musk simply replied: “Yes.”
The tech mogul followed up with a warning about Trump’s proposed tariff policies, stating:
“The Trump tariffs will cause a recession in the second half of this year.”
A Widening Rift
Musk’s latest comments are part of a growing and highly public feud with Trump. The billionaire recently made waves by suggesting that Trump is “in the Epstein files”—a reference to documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Adding further fuel to the fire, Musk reportedly threatened to decommission SpaceX’s NASA operations, which include transporting astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station. The threat came in response to Trump’s vow to cancel Musk’s government contracts, claiming he had “pushed Musk out” and accusing the SpaceX founder of having gone “CRAZY!”
Political and Personal Fallout
The feud has also drawn in Trump loyalists. Steve Bannon, one of Trump’s closest advisers, escalated the rhetoric by suggesting Musk—who was born in South Africa—should be deported.
This high-profile clash marks a new chapter in the relationship between Musk and Trump, who once appeared aligned on several issues. Now, with impeachment talk and policy threats on both sides, the fallout appears far from over.
Trump vs. Musk: Political Alliance Explodes Into Public Feud, Deportation Calls, and Personal Attacks
What began as a political alliance between President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk has now devolved into a full-scale war of words, policy disputes, and even calls for deportation.
The tension peaked this week when Musk responded “yes” to an X (formerly Twitter) post that floated the idea of impeaching Trump and replacing him with Vice President J.D. Vance. That simple affirmation triggered a chain reaction of political fallout and personal attacks.
Bannon: “Deport Musk”
In an explosive interview with The New York Times, Trump ally Steve Bannon took things further, suggesting that Musk’s immigration status be investigated:
“They should initiate a formal investigation of his immigration status because I am of the strong belief that he is an illegal alien, and he should be deported from the country immediately,” Bannon said.
Later, on his War Room podcast, Bannon called Musk “an unstable individual” and a “national security issue,” referencing reports from The New York Times that alleged drug use by the SpaceX and Tesla CEO.
“President Trump is a bull and Elon is a baby calf,” Bannon added.
From Partnership to Public Clash
The breakdown of their once-amicable relationship began when Musk voiced opposition to a Republican-backed spending bill—nicknamed the “big, beautiful bill”—claiming it undercut DOGE’s cost-saving strategies. Musk argued the legislation included unnecessary spending while slashing incentives for electric vehicles and solar energy—key industries for Tesla.
At a press conference on Thursday, Trump was asked about Musk’s growing criticisms.
“Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore. I was surprised,” Trump admitted.
He went on to suggest that Musk’s anger stemmed less from the federal budget and more from changes to electric vehicle mandates and government appointments affecting SpaceX. In particular, Trump revoked the nomination of Jared Isaacman, a close Musk collaborator and civilian astronaut, to head NASA.
“We won. We get certain privileges, and one of them is we don’t have to appoint a Democrat,” Trump said, referring to Isaacman’s political affiliations.
Musk Fires Back
As Trump’s remarks aired, Musk posted on X in real time:
“Whatever.”
He later criticized the bill again, writing:
“Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK.”
He added:
“In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that [is] both big and beautiful… Slim and beautiful is the way.”
Finally, Musk escalated the feud with a pointed claim:
“Trump would have lost the 2024 election if not for me.”
Musk and Trump Rift Deepens Amid Accusations of ‘Ingratitude’ and Contract Threats
Once aligned in the lead-up to the 2024 election, Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have now turned on each other in a spectacularly public feud. At the heart of the falling out: money, power, and conflicting visions for the Republican Party’s future.
Musk’s Massive Contribution — and Growing Resentment
Following the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13th, Musk not only endorsed the former president but also poured an estimated $290 million into his campaign. He later joined Trump on the campaign trail during a symbolic return to Butler in early October, just weeks before Election Day.
However, Trump has since downplayed Musk’s impact. Speaking from the Oval Office, the president claimed he would have won the key battleground state of Pennsylvania regardless, attributing his confidence to Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’s decision not to select Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate.
“I would have won Pennsylvania, I would have won by a lot,” Trump insisted.
Musk was quick to scoff at that claim, firing back online:
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51–49 in the Senate,” he wrote.
“Such ingratitude.”
Musk: “I’ll Outlast Trump”
The 53-year-old billionaire didn’t stop there. In a pointed message posted Thursday, Musk contrasted his longevity with that of the 78-year-old president:
“Trump has 3.5 years left as President, but I will be around for 40+ years,” he wrote in response to conservative activist Laura Loomer, who had reported from Capitol Hill that GOP lawmakers were debating whether to side with Trump or Musk in the feud.
Trump Strikes Back: “Elon Went CRAZY!”
After a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump took to social media to further escalate tensions. He claimed that Musk’s behavior had become erratic and that he had personally asked Musk to leave his administration.
“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave,” Trump wrote.
“I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!”
He then went a step further—threatening Musk’s companies directly.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget—Billions and Billions of Dollars—is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” Trump warned.
The veiled threat could impact federal support for Tesla, as well as lucrative NASA contracts with Musk’s aerospace firm SpaceX.
Elon Musk Escalates Trump Feud: Epstein Allegation, NASA Threats, and Public Meltdown
The increasingly bitter fallout between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk reached a dramatic new low this week, as the billionaire tech mogul publicly taunted Trump, threatened to halt key NASA operations, and accused the president of being implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
“Go Ahead, Make My Day”
The clash took a darker turn when Musk openly dared Trump to retaliate against him:
“This just gets better and better,” Musk posted to X.
“Go ahead, make my day…”
Shortly after, he announced he would “begin decommissioning” SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft — the critical capsule used by NASA to send astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station.
The implications of such a move are severe, given the U.S. currently relies on Dragon missions for manned spaceflight operations.
Markets React, Celebrities Weigh In
As the online battle raged, Tesla’s stock took a sharp hit, with investors reacting to Musk’s increasingly erratic behavior. In a bizarre twist, rapper Kanye West — known for his own past controversies and antisemitic remarks — weighed in on the situation with a plea for peace.
“Broooos please noooooo. We love you both so much,” West posted.
The Epstein Bombshell
Musk then made his most inflammatory allegation yet:
“@RealDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,” he wrote, referencing the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“Have a nice day, DJT!”
Musk followed it up with a cryptic warning:
“Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”
Trump has previously vowed transparency around Epstein’s documents, and in February, Attorney General Pam Bondi released limited files — most of which were already publicly known.
Trump Shrugs It Off
Despite the bombshell claim, Trump declined to respond directly. Instead, he posted a dismissive message on Truth Social:
“I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago,” he said, doubling down on his support for his controversial economic proposal.
“This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress.”
At a White House event with the National Fraternal Order of Police, Trump ignored shouted questions from reporters regarding the Epstein accusation.
White House, Allies Push Back
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a carefully worded statement:
“This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted,” she said.
“The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again.”
A source close to the administration also downplayed Musk’s allegation, telling The Daily Mail:
“Everyone knows President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his Palm Beach Golf Club.”
“The administration itself released Epstein files with the President’s name included. This isn’t new. Everyone already knew this.”
The source added pointedly:
“If Elon truly believed Trump was involved with Epstein, why did he spend six months praising him and say he ‘loves him as much as a straight man can love a straight man’?”
A Rapid Decline
Only days ago, Trump had given Musk a glowing endorsement and even symbolically handed him a “golden key” and a DOGE-themed farewell during a now-notorious photo op in the Oval Office.
Today, that partnership lies in ruins.
