Elon Musk's MAGA Takeover Has Everyone Asking The Same Thing About JD Vance

Donald Trump and JD Vance beat out Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 election, but many folks think it's an entirely different ticket that seems to be in charge. Elon Musk, who Trump has called on to co-lead his new Department of Government Efficiency, seems to be playing the role of Trump's right-hand man. This is odd to begin with, but it's been made even odder by the fact that VP-elect Vance has been largely absent from the public eye since Election Day. Now, folks on the internet are buzzing about where Vance is and why it seems like Musk stole his job out from under him. 

Since Trump won the 2024 election, we've seen more of Musk than ever before. The president-elect and the CEO have appeared to be inseparable; Musk has been joining Trump in meetings with other countries' leaders and acting like an honorary member of the Trump family. Musk's move to Florida proves that his Trump obsession is only getting worse with time; he has reportedly been staying at a Mar-a-Lago cottage, making him Trump's next door neighbor. It's difficult to ignore Musk's growing power in politics, and as such, people are wondering if Vance really is being pushed aside to make room for the controversial CEO.

We all remember #where'skate trending in 2024 amidst Catherine, Princess of Wales' break from the public eye. Well, it seems that we may be replacing this trending topic with #where'sJDVance in 2025. On December 31, one X (formerly known as Twitter) user asked, "Has anyone seen proof of life for JD Vance?" And, plenty of others are echoing this same sentiment. "i'm starting to think JD Vance never existed," one X-user noted. Another joked, "Maybe JD Vance was just a stranger we never met along the way?" "Where is Jd Vance? Where is his dog?" someone else questioned. 

The further we get from Election Day and closer we get to Inauguration Day, the more people are wondering where the man Donald Trump claimed would be his vice president really is — and if he'll be taking on the role, at all. Of course, since Vance was a controversial VP pick, not everyone is in mourning. One X user wrote: "JD Vance has been silent this whole time. I have no problem with that. I'd like to think that f****** psycho would stay out of the picture for the next 4 years. I know that's impossible, though." 

Ultimately, even if Vance was just a stand-in who won't have much control in the upcoming presidency, Musk is far from a good replacement in terms of likability. Musk is also a controversial figure, and since Trump won back the White House, he's only getting increasingly contentious.