Vice President JD Vance went on the offensive Tuesday, tearing into New York Democrat Jerry Nadler over comments he says dangerously legitimize violence against federal law enforcement, the New York Post reports.
“Jerry Nadler is one of the highest ranking Democrats in the House of Representatives and he is openly calling for people to shoot federal law enforcement,” Vance posted on X Tuesday, adding, “This is despicable behavior from an elected official and I’m sure the leftwing media will cover it extensively.”
During a recent House Judiciary Committee hearing, Nadler launched into a tirade about “fascism in our streets,” describing Americans being attacked by “masked hoodlums.” He then declared that if someone were attacked by a masked person, they would be “justified in shooting” to defend themselves.
“If you were attacked by a masked person, you might think you were being kidnapped. You’d be justified in shooting the person to protect yourself,” he said.
While Nadler appeared to defend acts of self-protection, his remarks struck many as a reckless green light for violence against ICE and other federal officers.
Vance and other conservatives accused Nadler of using inflammatory rhetoric at a time when federal agents are literally under attack.
The incident follows two deadly confrontations in Minneapolis last month involving Department of Homeland Security personnel. Federal reports say Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37, were killed after violent altercations with officers during tense protests. Good allegedly accelerated her car toward an ICE agent who then fired in self-defense, while Pretti, said to be armed with a loaded handgun, fought with Border Patrol agents before being fatally shot. Both cases remain under investigation.
Referring to Good’s case, Nadler asked, “[W]e see people being shot, for what? For driving a car?”
Even as agents face life-and-death situations, House Democrats on Tuesday sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, demanding that DHS roll back new measures allowing officers broader authority to serve warrants — including entering homes, according to The Post. Critics call that move another sign Democrats are more concerned about restricting enforcement than protecting the officers who carry it out.