Viral audio clip allegedly featuring JD Vance criticising Elon Musk declared fake

An audio clip claiming to feature Vice President JD Vance making critical remarks about Elon Musk has gone viral on social media, drawing widespread attention. However, Vance’s communications director has denied the authenticity of the recording, calling it 100% fake.

Vice President’s office denies authenticity

William Martin, Vice President Vance’s communications director, refuted the legitimacy of the clip in a post on X. “Most certainly not the Vice President,” Martin wrote, while linking to a post that has since been deleted.

The audio quality is notably poor and distorted, raising questions about its authenticity. Additionally, no source or context has been provided regarding where or when the recording was made. Critics have pointed out the improbability of a random social media account obtaining a confidential recording of the vice president.

Origins of the clip and social media spread

The viral clip appears to have first been posted by a TikTok account, and it was subsequently shared on X, and has also surfaced in multiple Reddit threads.

In the clip, a man can be heard allegedly criticising Musk, stating: “He's getting criticized in the media, and he says that he's helping, and he's not. He's making us look bad. He's making me look bad. And I'll tell you this, and you wouldn't like it if I said it, but he's not even an American. He is from South Africa. It is cosmopolitan.”

The audio continues: “There's this great American leader in a room that has the portraits of some of the greatest men that ever lived in this country, and he has the audacity to act like he is an elected official. I am an elected official. I am the important one. In this situation, not him. So if he wants to tank the economy and his cars, maybe that's what he deserves.”

Musk’s influence in US politics

Elon Musk, an ally of President Donald Trump, was appointed to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a department created under Trump’s administration to slash federal government spending. Musk has become an increasingly significant figure in both US and global politics.

Initially a major financial backer of Trump’s presidential campaign, Musk’s leadership of DOGE has sparked nationwide protests, some of which have escalated into violent incidents targeting Tesla properties.