The US is discovering it has two vice presidents. One, JD Vance, occupies the official position and is learning the protocol constraints of his rank. The other, Elon Musk, is no longer holding back, dazzled by his own importance and power, to an unparalleled level. A familiar rule from the Trumpist world means that informal hierarchies matter more than organizational charts. But the longevity of this double act seems uncertain.

In the visual clash of the inauguration, which began on January 19 with a rally for Trump's supporters in Washington's Capitol One Arena, the contrast between the two men could not have been clearer. Vance has remained largely silent, apart from a few anodyne remarks here and there. He was not invited to speak on stage at Capital One sports arena, either on January 19 or the following day, after he was sworn in at the Capitol, just before the president.

Trump said Vance has an "incredible wife" as he searched the stands for his running mate. The former senator from Ohio appeared with his wife Usha and their children. At official balls and ceremonies at the National Cathedral in Washington on Tuesday, January 21, he was also not far from Trump. At 40, he knows that in the event of the president's death, he would become commander-in-chief of the world's leading power. Being in a second-tier position is part of the job, but it is not definitive, as Trump can no longer aspire to another term.

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