WASHINGTON — In an online post over the weekend, Vice President JD Vance wrote, “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.”
The comment appeared to refer to a U.S. military strike on a boat in the Caribbean that killed 11 people.
The Trump administration said the boat was from a Venezuelan gang and U.S.-designated terrorist organization, Tren de Aragua, that was smuggling drugs into the U.S.
Some said the strike may have violated international law.
Brian Krassenstein, a social media commentator who is often critical of the president, replied to Vance, “Killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime.”
Vance responded: “I don’t give a s— what you call it.”
That’s when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., weighed in, slamming the vice president.
The Republican wrote: “JD ‘I don’t give a s—’ Vance says killing people he accuses of a crime is the ‘highest and best use of the military.’ Did he ever read To Kill a Mockingbird? Did he ever wonder what might happen if the accused were immediately executed without trial or representation?? What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued last week that other methods to stop drugs from coming in haven’t worked.
“Interdiction doesn’t work because these drug cartels, what they do is they know they’re going to lose 2% of their cargo,” he said. “They bake it into their economics. What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them.”
It’s not the first time Paul has been at odds with President Donald Trump’s administration this year. He has not supported the president’s tariffs or his plan for the government to take a 10% stake in chipmaker, Intel.
The president attacked Paul online for his opposition to the GOP-led tax and spending bill to enact the president’s agenda.