JD Vance was accused this weekend of being a hypocrite, as political observers threw the vice president's prior remarks back in his face in the wake of the Trump admin's military strike in Venezuela.
After Trump announced the successful mission to capture Venezuela's leader and his wife, Vance took to social media to voice his support for the venture some have deemed "regime change."
"The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says. Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation," Vance wrote before adding, "And PSA for everyone saying this was 'illegal': Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don't get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas."
Instantly, people reminded Vance of his earlier positions.
Brian Krassenstein said, "Breaking international law again."
"I assume you guys also didn’t go to Congress. I remember when you were against regime change and when you said that we should stop being the world police. What happened?"
Krassenstein went on to say, "It’s strange how just 7 months ago, JD Vance was condemning the failed 'experiment' of nation-building and warning against 'foreign meddling in other countries’ affairs,' even boasting that Trump was 'shifting away' from those exact policies."
"Now those principles seem to have vanished," he added. "At this point, it’s fair to ask whether Vance actually has a consistent foreign-policy worldview, or whether his only ideology is aligning himself with whatever position Trump happens to take in the moment."
Former Biden aide Andrew Bates asked, "Does JD Vance even know what JD Vance really stands for?" before quoting Vance in 2024:
"Who's going to fight those wars? I guarantee you it's not going to be Kamala Harris' family. It's going to be the people right here from Erie, PA. So we want peace, right?"
Antiwar news editor Dave DeCamp wrote Saturday, "'You guys are worse than the neocons."'
MS NOW's Jonathan Lemire highlighted the part about "stolen oil."
Constitutional law professor Anthony Michael Kreis said, "Sovereign countries cannot be invaded to extract persons because they have been indicted by the United States absent Congressional authorization. Otherwise, POTUS would have unfettered, unilateral authority to start wars in the pursuit of justice, however he or she defined it."
Sovereign countries cannot be invaded to extract persons because they have been indicted by the United States absent Congressional authorization. Otherwise, POTUS would have unfettered, unilateral authority to start wars in the pursuit of justice, however he or she defined it. https://t.co/X1iR0YZBh6
— Anthony Michael Kreis, FRHistS (@AnthonyMKreis) January 3, 2026