Vice President Musk

I remember asking my dad about the “99” next to gas prices when I was younger—he explained it was a “mill,” a coin that no longer exists. Ten years after I asked that question, Elon Musk announced that pennies now cost more to make than their value, causing Donald Trump to discontinue the creation of more pennies, adding them to the growing list of reforms and cuts being made by the Trump administration.

This cut is just one of many sweeping acts that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has made since its creation at the start of Trump’s term. The idea of the DOGE is to cut unnecessary government spending, something that the government is well overdue for. Since its implementation, Musk has cut billions of dollars from the budget, including tens of thousands of federal workers and substantial money from DEI programs.

However, Musk and Trump’s relationship extends past a purely professional relationship; the pair has been public about their friendship outside of work. They are shown consistently at press briefings, private events, and even calls with world leaders during the presidential campaign. Yet these constant appearances with Musk lead to the burning question: where is JD Vance?

It seems that Trump has simply forgotten who helped him get into this position in the first place—his running mate. JD Vance ran alongside Trump on the ticket, and yet it seems that he has not worked directly with Trump since the inauguration. This absence is a stark contrast to the previous administration, where The New York Times noted that Biden was hardly seen without Harris in 2021. Musk has instead taken the role as Trump’s right-hand man, and I hear far more about the pair in the media than I do about Trump and Vance. My concern lies in the fact that Musk was not elected into this role by the people. Instead, he poured enough money into Trump’s campaign to gain favorability when it was time for cabinet nominations. Generally, I agree with a lot of Republican policies, but giving a singular unelected official this kind of power does not align with the party’s views or my own.

There is a valid argument that the people voted for Trump, and therefore also voted for whoever he appoints into cabinet positions. Elon was known to be close to Trump and a heavy donor. As a businessman, it’s reasonable that he would expect a return on his investment. However, this appointment is an unprecedented use of a cabinet position, and it is through an organization that Trump did not explicitly pitch during his campaign. Further, Musk was never nominated or confirmed to lead the new department; he was purely appointed by Trump to wield remarkable government power. It is time for Trump to use his Vice President that the people voted for.

Concerningly, Trump displays minimal faith in Vance for future leadership roles, speaking volumes about the confidence held for his second-in-command. In an i​nterview with Brett Baier, Trump was asked if he felt JD Vance was a good successor to the head of the Republican party in 2028, and Trump responded that it was too early to tell, dodging an endorsement. This incident resulted in JD Vance being interviewed by Daily Mail and having to defend what Trump said. Vance should never have been put in a position where his credibility is in question by the man that supposedly trusts him to run the country in case of emergency/incident.

What is especially concerning is the noticeable lack of media appearances featuring Vance and Trump together.  This lack has instead been supplemented by the barrage of media appearances with Trump and Musk together. Two weeks ago, the pair did a joint interview on Fox News, discussing a variety of policy initiatives. Trump defended their relationship, stating it was incredibly strong and praised Musk’s intellect and entrepreneurship. Musk touted the success of the DOGE, and continued to stand by the cuts in spending he made. Further, there was another meeting with Musk and Trump in the Oval Office defending the DOGE. There have also been numerous photos posted to social media featuring the two among other important political figures. One notable image features Trump, Musk, Trump Jr., Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Mike Johnson; Vance is noticeably missing from the photo.

Vance did not get a notable media moment with Trump in office until very recently, when Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House to discuss the conflict with Russia. While I applaud Trump for ensuring that Vance had a seat at the table for a meeting as critical as this one, it does not take away from the fact that this was the first major appearance two months into his presidency. 

Trump needs to reevaluate how he portrays JD Vance within his administration. Vance was an incredibly strong candidate during the campaign. He displayed effective debate skills during his debate with Tim Walz, and a slight majority of Americans believed he won the debate, a contrast to the Trump Harris debates. Additionally, he balances out Trump’s weaknesses with the American public—he is a young veteran who isn’t a billionaire. Although Musk can certainly help Trump in some areas presently, it is important for Trump to regain his focus on his second-in-command, and ensure a predecessor that Republicans are excited to vote for.