Fact Check: Did Trump claim JD Vance is trying to force him out of office?

WASHINGTON, DC: Viral posts on X (formerly Twitter) are fueling speculation about a growing rift between President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

One widely shared post claims that Trump accused Vance of trying to force him out of office and has stopped speaking to him altogether.

The post further alleges that a bombshell New York Times report revealed that Vance held multiple secret meetings behind Trump's back to push for the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related allegations that could implicate the president. As the claims spread across social media, many users are questioning whether the alleged feud is real. 

Claim: Donald Trump accused JD Vance of plotting to force him out of the presidency

X user The Halfway Post shared posts alleging a feud between President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

One post stated, "BREAKING: Donald Trump is reportedly furious with JD Vance for leaking to the New York Times about all the top secret Epstein Files meetings, and Trump is accusing Vance of plotting to force him out of the presidency."

A subsequent post read, "BREAKING: Donald Trump is reportedly not talking to JD Vance anymore after the New York Times published the bombshell story reporting how Vance held multiple secret meetings behind his back to advocate for releasing allegations in the Epstein Files that incriminated him."

The same account later claimed that the relationship between Trump and Vance had "never been more strained or icy," alleging that Vance repeatedly leaked information about the Epstein files and the Iran conflict to the media "to distance himself from Trump's debacles and imploding legacy." At the time of writing, one of the posts had received more than 117.6K views and generated hundreds of comments.

The claims were also repeated in an article published on the website, headlined, "Trump And JD Vance Are Not Talking After Vance's 'Disloyal Leaks.'"

The article alleged that the 80-year-old POTUS was furious with Vance for leaking details of private meetings about the Epstein files to The New York Times and accused the vice president of plotting to force him out of the presidency.

Fact Check: Trump did not accuse JD Vance of plotting to remove him from office

The claim about a collapse in the relationship between Donald Trump and JD Vance is false, as no credible news source has covered it. 

Moreover, the claim originated from a satire account. The Halfway Post's bio clearly states: "Halfway true comedy and satire for your doomscrolling by @DashMacIntyre. I don't report the facts, I improve them." 

The claim appears to be based on a New York Times report about internal White House discussions over the handling of Epstein files. According to the outlet, senior administration officials participated in official meetings to discuss how to respond to criticism surrounding the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein case.

During those meetings, Vance reportedly argued that the Epstein issue had become a major problem for the MAGA movement and backed releasing more information to address concerns among the president's supporters. Some officials apparently disagreed with his approach, leading to internal policy debates about how much information should be made public.

However, the Times piece did not say that Vance held secret meetings behind Trump's back, leaked information to reporters, or plotted against him. It also did not claim that Trump had stopped speaking to Vance or that the two were involved in a feud.