Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday assailed Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., after Nadler suggested people could be justified in shooting a federal agent if they believed they were being kidnapped by "masked hoodlums."
Vance called Nadler's behavior "despicable."
At a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Nadler argued that attacks on U.S. citizens were the country's most pressing issue.
"What is the major problem in our country today is the fascism in our streets; the attacks on American citizens by masked hoodlums. 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," Nadler said.
Vance responded to the retiring Democrat's words in a post on X.
"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.
"This is despicable behavior from an elected official and I'm sure the leftwing media will cover it extensively," Vance wrote.
Nadler continued his remarks.
"We see people being shot, for what? For driving a car?" he said.
The comments followed recent fatal encounters involving federal agents.
Federal authorities say Renee Good was shot and killed last month by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent after driving off in her vehicle to avoid being arrested on suspicion of obstruction of an immigration operation.
They added that Good had been using her car to block federal agents on a residential street. Officials said she hit the agent, prompting him to fire in self-defense.
Others dispute the federal government's account of the events that preceded Good's death.
Weeks later, Alex Pretti was shot and killed while interfering in an ICE operation in Minneapolis, leading some Democrats to call for the agency's abolition.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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