Sen. Rand Paul publicly rebuked Vice President JD Vance after Vance praised a US military strike that destroyed a Venezuelan boat allegedly used by drug traffickers, killing 11 people. Vance had identified those on the boat as "cartel members" and called the attack the "highest and best use of our military." When social media personality Brian Krassenstein pushed back on Vance, noting that "killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime," Vance replied, "I don't give a s--- what you call it."
Paul denounced Vance's sentiments online, deeming them "despicable and thoughtless" and arguing it glorified taking lives without due process. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Paul also said his response was consistent with his long-standing skepticism of unchecked American military power, per Politico. He questioned the legality and morality of the strike, noting it remains unclear whether the boat posed an imminent threat to the US. "Nobody's even asking whether we need to prove that. We just blow them up," Paul said. While acknowledging he has "no love lost" for drug traffickers, the GOP senator expressed concern about the precedent set if lethal force becomes routine Coast Guard policy.
What especially bothered Paul, he said, was Vance's apparent indifference to criticism and his willingness to dismiss the need for legal procedures before deadly action. Paul described this attitude as showing "disdain for human life and a disdain for processes." Paul stated he hasn't received any communication from Vance or the White House about his comments and was noncommittal on whether the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which he chairs, would hold hearings on the incident.
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Paul also pushed back against accusations that his stance amounted to supporting drug traffickers. "It doesn't mean I'm pro-fentanyl because I think we should figure out if someone actually is a drug dealer before we kill them," he said. "No, that just means that I'm pro having some kind of process before you kill people." The Guardian notes that, after the strike, President Trump promised more such attacks against purported drug traffickers, noting, "There's more where that came from."
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