‘I wouldn’t go fishing right now’: JD Vance sparks backlash after joking about controversial US strikes on Venezuelan boats
Vice President JD Vance has faced some backlash after joking about the controversial U.S. strikes on Venezuelan boats, saying, “I wouldn’t go fishing right now.”
President Donald Trump has ordered two attacks within weeks on what he claims are drug boats headed to the U.S., raising eyebrows about the legality of the military actions.
On Monday, Trump announced the killing of three men in a strike against what he said were “extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists.”
“Be warned — if you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you!” Trump wrote in all caps on Truth Social.
Earlier this month, Trump said the U.S. killed 11 others in a strike against “Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists.” The Trump administration has classified Tren de Aragua and other gangs as designated foreign terrorist organizations.
Speaking to a crowd of Trump supporters in Michigan Wednesday, Vance commented on the deadly boat strikes.
He recalled a conversation with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, in which Hegseth said, “We don’t see any of these drug boats coming into our country. They’ve completely stopped.”
“I said, ‘I know why,’” Vance said as he was met with laughter. “I would stop too. Hell, I wouldn’t go fishing right now in that area of the world.”
The vice president continued: “But that is what a military that is dedicated to its purpose and a commander in chief that is dedicated to the national good can do.”
Vance’s comments were met with contempt by some online when a clip of his speech circulated on X.
One X user commented: “This really isn’t funny. Countries don’t have the right to shoot down vessels in international waters without legal justification.”
“This regime gets giddy about violence. It’s sick,” another wrote.
A third said, “The Vice President of the United States doesn’t even know if they are killing drug dealers or fishermen.”
The Independent has reached out to Vance’s office for comment.
