MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough blasted Vice President JD Vance as a liar after the U.S. military assassinated alleged cartel members on a boat in international waters.
Vance had celebrated the attack on 11 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang on X Saturday, writing, “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.”
“Democrats: let’s send your kids to die in Russia. Republicans: actually let’s protect our people from the scum of the earth,” he added.
Liberal critic Brian Krassentein shot back, writing, “Killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime.”
“I don’t give a s–t what you call it,” Vance replied.
I don’t give a shit what you call it
— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 6, 2025
On Morning Joe Monday, Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, lambasted the vice president for “celebrating blowing things out of the water, killing people without a trial.”
“To have a vice president of the United States trying to just provoke on X, talking about, ‘Oh, they want to send your kids to Russia,’” he said. ”Nobody wants to send their kids to Russia to die, that’s just a lie … It’s just an absolute, total lie, and yet that somehow has justification for the celebration of using the military to blow up people in a boat without any due process whatsoever.”
Republican Sen. Rand Paul also condemned Vance on X.
“J.D. ‘I don’t give a shit’ Vance says killing people he accuses of a crime is the ‘highest and best use of the military,’” he wrote. “What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial.“
JD “I don’t give a shit” 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??… https://t.co/VdnJbZkGfS
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 7, 2025
The administration has said similar attacks could take place, sparking fear of possible escalation between the two nations. The U.S. has declared Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, a terrorist and is offering a $50 million bounty for him.
The Daily Beast has contacted Vance’s representatives for comment on Scarborough’s remarks.
The post Joe Scarborough Calls BS on Vance’s War Crime Defense appeared first on The Daily Beast.
