Gabinete de los Horrores: JD Vance -- Vice President of the United States

Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Last Updated: 2026-02-12
Confidence: HIGH (40+ independent sources, video evidence, Congressional records, direct quotes from press conferences and interviews)

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Summary

Defaming the Dead from the White House Podium

Vance called Renee Good -- a mother of three shot dead by a federal agent -- "a deranged leftist" whose death was "a tragedy of her own making." He amplified the false claim that Alex Pretti -- an ICU nurse shot in the back while pinned by six agents -- was an "assassin." When asked to apologize: "For what?"

James David Vance is the 50th Vice President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2025. A former venture capitalist, U.S. Marine, and author of Hillbilly Elegy, Vance was elected to the U.S. Senate from Ohio in 2022 with $15 million in backing from billionaire Peter Thiel. He served in the Senate for two years before being selected as Donald Trump's running mate in July 2024. His political career represents one of the most dramatic ideological transformations in modern American politics: from a self-identified "Never Trumper" who called Trump "America's Hitler" and "cultural heroin" in 2016 to the second-highest official in an administration presiding over the deadliest period in immigration detention history.

As Vice President, Vance has served as the administration's most visible public defender of federal agents who killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge. On January 8, 2026 -- the day after ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good, a mother of three -- Vance appeared at the White House podium and called her death "a tragedy of her own making," called her a "deranged leftist" who had been "brainwashed" by left-wing ideology, and told Americans they should "thank" the agent who killed her. When CBP agents killed 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti on January 24, Vance reposted Stephen Miller's claim that Pretti was an "assassin" who "tried to murder federal agents." When asked by the Daily Mail in February 2026 whether he would apologize to Pretti's family, Vance replied: "For what?"

Before entering the administration, Vance amplified debunked claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were stealing and eating pets -- continuing to spread the lie even after his own staff was told by city officials it was baseless. PolitiFact named it the "Lie of the Year" for 2024. The false claims led to 33 bomb threats against schools, hospitals, and businesses in Springfield, terrorizing the Haitian community and forcing evacuations across the city.

Vance has advocated for mass deportation ("start with 1 million"), the reduction of legal immigration ("we have to get the overall numbers way, way down"), the end of birthright citizenship, the stripping of healthcare from DACA recipients, and "door-to-door" ICE operations. His own 2024 campaign plane -- a Boeing 737 -- is now being used to deport shackled immigrants on deportation flights to Central and South American countries.

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Position and Authority

Constitutional Role

As Vice President, Vance holds the second-highest office in the executive branch. He is President of the Senate, with the power to cast tie-breaking votes. He sits on the National Security Council. He is first in the presidential line of succession.

While the Vice Presidency has no direct operational authority over DHS, ICE, or CBP, Vance has functioned as the administration's primary public communicator on immigration enforcement -- particularly during the Minneapolis crisis. He has used the White House podium, social media, Fox News appearances, and in-person visits to Minneapolis to shape the narrative around federal agents' killings of civilians, to attack victims, blame protesters, and threaten escalation.

Relationship to Key Officials

• Donald Trump: Vance serves at Trump's pleasure. Trump selected him as VP after Peter Thiel made calls encouraging the pick.
• Stephen Miller: White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Homeland Security. Vance amplified Miller's "assassin" claim about Pretti within hours of the killing. Miller's office directed the initial false narratives about both the Good and Pretti killings.
• Kristi Noem: DHS Secretary. Vance and Noem have operated in tandem -- Noem issues the false "domestic terrorist" labels from DHS, Vance amplifies and defends them from the White House.
• Tom Homan: "Border Czar." Homan was given command authority over Minneapolis operations after the two killings. Vance has publicly supported the surge operations Homan directed.

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The Good Killing: "A Tragedy of Her Own Making"

The Shooting (January 7, 2026)

On January 7, 2026, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good on a residential street in south Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge. Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three who had just dropped her six-year-old at school, was shot three times -- including a fatal shot to the left temple -- as her car turned away from the agent. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide. Video evidence contradicted federal claims that she was trying to run over the agent. The New York Times found her vehicle "appears to be turning away from a federal officer as he opened fire." The Washington Post found the agent fired "at least two of three shots from the side of the vehicle as it veered past him."

Vance's Response: January 8, 2026 -- White House Briefing

The day after Good's killing, Vance took the White House podium in the James Brady Press Briefing Room. In a combative press conference, he:

JD Vance, White House Briefing, January 8, 2026

"I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it is a tragedy of her own making and a tragedy of the far left who has marshaled an entire movement -- a lunatic fringe -- against our law enforcement officers."

Called her death "a tragedy of her own making":

"I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it is a tragedy of her own making and a tragedy of the far left who has marshaled an entire movement -- a lunatic fringe -- against our law enforcement officers."

Called her "brainwashed":

"I think she's a victim of left-wing ideology. What young mother shows up and decides they're gonna throw their car in front of ICE officers who are enforcing law? You've got to be a little brainwashed."

Blamed a conspiracy of leftists for her death:

"There is an entire network that is trying to incite violence against our law enforcement... It's ridiculous, it's preposterous, and part of our investigative work will be to get to the bottom of it."

Attacked the media:

"The reporting over this has been one of the biggest scandals I've ever seen in media. I've never seen a case so misrepresented and misreported. We have a guy who was defending himself, who is now being treated as some sort of federal assassin by so many of the people in this room."

Said Americans should "thank" the agent who killed her:

The ICE agent who shot Renee Nicole Good "deserves our gratitude."

No evidence was ever presented linking Good to organized political groups.

Vance's Social Media Campaign

On January 8, 2026, Vance posted on X:

"You can accept that this woman's death is a tragedy while acknowledging it's a tragedy of her own making. Don't illegally interfere in federal law enforcement operations and try to run over our officers with your car. It's really that simple."

In a separate post, Vance called Good a "deranged leftist":

"Do you think this officer was wrong in defending his life against a deranged leftist who tried to run him over? These people are going to try to arrest our law enforcement for doing their jobs."

False Claim of "Absolute Immunity"

Vance publicly claimed the ICE agent who killed Good has "absolute immunity." Legal experts uniformly dismissed this -- federal agents acting under color of law can be prosecuted criminally for willfully depriving an individual of their civil rights.

"Door to Door" Escalation

Hours after Good's killing, Vance appeared on Fox News and announced that ICE would be going "door to door" across the country:

"I think we're going to see those numbers ramp up as we get more and more people online and working for ICE, going door to door and making sure that if you're an illegal alien, you've got to get out of this country."

Critics compared the rhetoric to 1930s Germany. The announcement came the same day a U.S. citizen was shot dead by ICE.

Sources: CNN, NBC News, PBS, FOX 9, Common Dreams, Truthout, Washington Times, The New Republic, The Daily Beast, Newsweek, National Catholic Reporter, The Hill, Washington Post, New York Times, MPR News. Confidence: CONFIRMED.

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The Pretti Killing: "For What?"

The Shooting (January 24, 2026)

On January 24, 2026, 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an ICU nurse at the VA hospital, was shot and killed by CBP agents Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez in south Minneapolis. Pretti was filming federal agents with his phone and had stepped between an agent and a woman the agent had pushed to the ground. He was pepper-sprayed, wrestled to the ground by approximately six agents, pinned face-down, and shot multiple times -- including in the back. He was legally carrying a permitted handgun that Minneapolis police confirmed he had a state permit for. He had no criminal record. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.

Vance Amplifies the "Assassin" Lie

Contradicted by Everyone -- Including Trump

The "assassin" claim was contradicted by video evidence, the government's own internal review, Minneapolis Police, and President Trump himself. Even Miller later admitted he made his comments "in haste." Vance never retracted.

Within hours of Pretti's death, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller posted on X: "An assassin tried to murder federal agents and this is your response." Vance reposted Miller's claim on his own account, amplifying it to his millions of followers. Noem and CBP Commander Gregory Bovino then used the same "assassin" language at press conferences.

"Engineered Chaos"

The day after Pretti's death, Vance posted on X:

"This level of engineered chaos is unique to Minneapolis. It is the direct consequence of far left agitators, working with local authorities."

"They have created the chaos so they can have moments like yesterday, where someone tragically dies and politicians get to grandstand about the evils of enforcing the border."

Vance blamed state and local officials, protesters, and "far-left agitators" for creating the conditions that led to Pretti's death -- not the armed federal agents who pinned him down and shot him.

"For What?" -- The Refusal to Apologize

JD Vance, Daily Mail interview, February 3, 2026

Reporter: "Have you apologized, did you plan to apologize to the family of Alex Pretti?"
Vance: "For what?"

In a Daily Mail interview published February 3, 2026, Vance was asked whether he planned to apologize to Pretti's family for endorsing the "assassin" label.

Reporter: "Have you apologized, did you plan to apologize to the family of Alex Pretti?"

Vance: "For what?"

Reporter: "For, you know, labeling him an assassin with ill intent."

Vance: "Well, again, I just described to you what I said about Alex Pretti, which is that he's a guy that showed up with ill intent to an ICE protest."

When pressed further on whether he would apologize if an investigation found civil rights violations:

"So if this hypothetical leads to that hypothetical, leads to another hypothetical, will I do a thing?"

What the Evidence Actually Shows

• Video: Pretti was holding a phone, not brandishing a weapon. He was pepper-sprayed, tackled by six agents, pinned face-down, and shot in the back.
• The government's own internal review sent to Congress made no mention of Pretti attacking officers or threatening them with a weapon.
• Minneapolis Police Chief O'Hara: "I don't have any evidence that suggests that the weapon was brandished."
• President Trump himself told reporters he did not believe Pretti was an assassin and called it a "very unfortunate incident."
• Even Miller, who originated the "assassin" claim, later admitted he made his comments "in haste."
• The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights probe. The agents have been placed on administrative leave.

The Pretti Family's Response

"The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs."
-- Joint statement from Alex Pretti's parents

Sources: Newsweek, Common Dreams, Bring Me The News, The Mirror, Daily Mail, HuffPost, The New Republic, uPolitics, IBTimes, CNN, NPR, NBC News, Fox News, Wikipedia. Confidence: CONFIRMED.

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Springfield, Ohio: "Eating the Pets"

The False Claims (September 2024)

Starting in September 2024, false claims spread online alleging that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were stealing and eating residents' pets. The claims originated on the far-right social platform Gab, were amplified by neo-Nazi groups including the Blood Tribe (which had marched through Springfield), and spread through local social media before reaching national attention.

Vance's Role

On September 9, 2024, then-Senator Vance posted on social media accusing Haitian migrants in Springfield of "abducting pets and eating them." The same day, a Vance staffer called Springfield City Hall and was told directly by city officials that the claims were "baseless." The Springfield City Manager told the Wall Street Journal: "He asked point-blank, 'Are the rumors true of pets being taken and eaten?' I told him no. There was no verifiable evidence or reports to show this was true. I told them these claims were baseless."

The following morning, Vance continued to spread the claims anyway.

The Debate Moment

On September 10, 2024, Donald Trump repeated the claim during the presidential debate: "In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in. They're eating the cats." Vance had laid the groundwork by amplifying the story for days.

"Creating Stories"

In a CNN interview on September 15, Vance made a remarkable admission:

"If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."

When pressed, he attempted to reframe: "It comes from firsthand accounts from my constituents. I say that we're creating a story, meaning we're creating the American media focusing on it."

Consequences: 33 Bomb Threats

The false claims, amplified by Vance and then Trump, had devastating real-world consequences for Springfield:

• 33 bomb threats were made against Springfield hospitals, schools, private residences, and businesses, causing multiple evacuations.
• Governor DeWine deployed 36 Ohio State Highway Patrol officers to station in "every school in Springfield."
• Clark State College was forced to close. Wittenberg University canceled in-person classes and went remote after receiving a school shooting threat and bomb threat -- both "targeted members of our local Haitian community."
• Governor DeWine described the threats: "The whole essence of the threats were the Haitians should be out, get rid of the Haitians."
• Haitian residents reported fleeing the city.
• Bomb threats resumed in February 2026 after the Trump administration moved to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians.

Criminal Complaint Filed

The Haitian Bridge Alliance filed criminal charges against Trump and Vance in Springfield, alleging seven separate offenses including disrupting public services, making false alarms, aggravated menacing, complicity, and telecommunications harassment.

Debunking

• Springfield and Clark County law enforcement: No credible reports or evidence.
• Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (Republican): "A piece of garbage that was simply not true."
• Springfield Mayor Rob Rue (Republican): Denounced the claims.
• The original Facebook poster and her neighbor admitted the story was a rumor.
• Snopes: "Unfounded."
• PolitiFact: Named the claims its "Lie of the Year" for 2024.

Sources: NPR (2 articles), Wikipedia, ABC News (2 articles), CNN, Axios, NBC News, PolitiFact, Rolling Stone, PBS (2 articles), Ohio Capital Journal, The Hill. Confidence: CONFIRMED.

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Immigration Rhetoric and Dehumanization

Pattern of Dehumanizing Language

Vance has consistently employed language that dehumanizes immigrants and those who advocate for them. Across the Good killing, the Pretti killing, and the Springfield crisis, a clear rhetorical pattern emerges:

Target	Vance's Language	Date
Renee Good (killed by ICE)	"deranged leftist," "brainwashed"	January 8, 2026
Renee Good	"tragedy of her own making"	January 8, 2026
Alex Pretti (killed by CBP)	Reposted "assassin" claim; "ill intent"	January 24-25, 2026
Minneapolis protesters	"far left agitators," "lunatic fringe"	January 8-25, 2026
Minneapolis situation	"engineered chaos"	January 25, 2026
Haitian immigrants in Springfield	Accused them of eating pets	September 2024
Asylum seekers	"illegal aliens" (including those with pending legal claims)	2023-2026
DACA recipients	"illegal immigrants" (stripped healthcare access)	2023
Legal immigrants	Numbers need to go "way, way down"	October 2025

The 5-Year-Old: Liam Conejo Ramos

On January 20, 2026, ICE agents detained 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father in their driveway in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, as the child returned from preschool wearing a Spider-Man backpack. The child's attorney said the family was legally seeking asylum, had presented themselves to border officers, and was "following all the established protocols."

The school superintendent said Liam was used "as bait" by agents pursuing his father. School board chair Mary Granlund confirmed: "It's very clear from the pictures, from the videos, from firsthand accounts. I was there. This is what happened."

During his Minneapolis visit on January 22, Vance reframed the incident:

"So the story is that 'ICE detained a 5-year-old.' Well, what are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to let a 5-year-old child freeze to death?"

Vance described the boy's father as an "illegal alien." The family's lawyer confirmed the father had no criminal record and was lawfully pursuing asylum.

Liam and his father were transferred to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas -- an ICE detention facility over 1,600 miles from their home.

"Absolute Disgrace" -- The Media as Enemy

Vance has repeatedly cast the media as complicit in violence against federal agents:

"The reporting over this has been one of the biggest scandals I've ever seen in media."
-- White House briefing, January 8, 2026

"An absolute disgrace."
-- On media coverage of the Good shooting, The Hill

This framing -- casting accurate reporting on a federal agent killing an unarmed mother of three as the real problem -- is characteristic of the administration's approach to accountability.

Sources: The New Republic, Newsweek, CNN, PBS, NPR, KARE 11, CBC, Fox News, The Hill. Confidence: HIGH.

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Policy Positions

Mass Deportation

Vance has been a vocal proponent of mass deportation throughout his political career:

"Let's start with 1 million. That's where Kamala Harris has failed. And then we can go from there."
-- ABC News interview, 2024

"We need to deport every single person who invaded our country illegally."
-- Campaign fundraising message, July 2024

"I think we're going to see those numbers ramp up as we get more and more people online and working for ICE, going door to door."
-- Fox News, January 8, 2026

Reducing Legal Immigration

In October 2025, at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi:

"We have to get the overall numbers way, way down."

The optimal number of legal immigrants is "far less than what we've been accepting."

This marked a dramatic expansion of the administration's target from unauthorized immigration to legal immigration itself.

End Birthright Citizenship

In June 2024, Vance co-sponsored the "Constitutional Citizenship Clarification Act" (S. 4459) with Senators Tom Cotton and Marsha Blackburn, seeking to end birthright citizenship guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. When asked if he supported ending birthright citizenship, Vance said: "I really do."

Strip Healthcare from DACA Recipients

In 2023, Vance spearheaded a Senate bill to strip DACA recipients of access to Affordable Care Act coverage, arguing that taxpayers "should never be forced to cover the cost of healthcare for illegal immigrants." DACA recipients were brought to the United States as children through no choice of their own.

Third-Country Deportations

Under the Trump-Vance administration, the U.S. has expanded third-country removals -- deporting people to countries other than their home nations via the deportation pipeline. The administration has signed "safe third country" agreements with Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Uganda, Belize, and Paraguay. Asylum seekers have been deported before their cases were adjudicated -- voiding applications without passing judgment on their merits.

The Bipartisan Border Bill

In May 2024, Vance voted against advancing a bipartisan border security deal that would have overhauled immigration law for the first time in more than 30 years. The bill failed 43-50. Multiple reports confirmed Trump urged Republicans to kill the bill so he could campaign on the issue. Democrats.org: "JD Vance helped tank the toughest, fairest bipartisan border bill in decades at Trump's command."

Campaign Plane to Deportation Plane

An Arizona Mirror investigation in May 2025 revealed that the Boeing 737 (tail number N917XA) Vance used to crisscross the country during the 2024 campaign -- giving speeches demonizing immigrants -- is now part of the "ICE Air" fleet, deporting shackled immigrants on deportation flights to Central and South American countries. Records show at least 16 deportation flights in 2025.

Sources: ABC News, PBS, Congress.gov, National Immigration Forum, NC Newsline, Alabama Reflector, Arizona Mirror, Democrats.org, The Hill. Confidence: HIGH.

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Background and Transformation

Early Life

Born August 2, 1984, in Middletown, Ohio. Raised in a working-class family plagued by addiction and instability -- his mother struggled with opioid addiction, and he was largely raised by his grandmother, Bonnie "Mamaw" Vance. Enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after high school and served in Iraq as a public affairs Marine. Graduated from Ohio State University, then Yale Law School. At Yale, he was mentored by the conservative legal scholar Amy Chua.

Hillbilly Elegy and the "Trump Whisperer" Era (2016)

Vance published Hillbilly Elegy in 2016, a memoir that attempted to explain the white working-class disaffection that powered Trump's rise. The book sold approximately two million copies and earned Vance a reputation as a "MAGA whisperer" -- a public intellectual who could translate the Trump phenomenon for cosmopolitan audiences.

At this time, Vance was vocally anti-Trump:

"I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a**hole like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he's America's Hitler."
-- Private message to former Yale roommate Josh McLaurin, 2016

"Trump is cultural heroin. He makes some feel better for a bit. But he cannot fix what ails them, and one day they'll realize it."
-- The Atlantic, 2016

"I'm a never-Trump guy. I never liked him."
-- Charlie Rose interview, October 2016

"Trump makes people I care about afraid. Immigrants, Muslims, etc. Because of this I find him reprehensible."
-- Twitter, October 2016 (deleted)

The Pivot (2019-2021)

Around 2019-2020, Vance began publicly reversing his position, saying "the scales fell from his eyes." He delivered speeches arguing that Republican orthodoxy of tax cuts and deregulation was failing working people, and that the real threats were immigration and family breakdown.

In a July 2021 Fox News interview, Vance formally recanted: "I've been very open that I did say those critical things and I regret them, and I regret being wrong about the guy."

Peter Thiel and the Senate (2022)

PayPal co-founder and billionaire Peter Thiel -- who had mentored Vance since Yale, hired him at his investment firm Mithril Capital, and backed his venture capital firm Narya Capital -- donated a record $15 million to Vance's 2022 Ohio Senate campaign through the super PAC "Protect Ohio Values." It was the largest amount ever donated by a single individual to a Senate candidate. Thiel also routed at least $200,000 through a dark money nonprofit called "Per Aspera Policy."

Trump endorsed Vance in the competitive GOP primary, writing that although Vance "said some not-so-great things about me in the past," he "gets it now."

Senate Record (2023-2025)

In the Senate, Vance compiled one of the most aggressive anti-immigration records in Congress:

• Heritage Action Score: 93% (118th Congress)
• Voted against the bipartisan border security bill (May 2024)
• Introduced the "Timely Departure Act" to crack down on visa overstays (2023)
• Introduced legislation to tax all remittances sent abroad (2023)
• Co-sponsored the "Constitutional Citizenship Clarification Act" to end birthright citizenship (2024)
• Spearheaded a bill to strip DACA recipients of ACA healthcare coverage (2023)
• Co-sponsored the Immigration Parole Reform Act (2023)

Vice Presidency (2025-present)

Selected as Trump's running mate in July 2024. Inaugurated January 20, 2025. Has served primarily as the administration's attack communicator on immigration -- defending killings, amplifying false narratives, and threatening escalation.

The Assessment

Atlantic writer George Packer, who interviewed Vance extensively:

"I think the younger Vance who wrote Hillbilly Elegy would be very skeptical of Vice President Vance. He would think of him as maybe the kind of politician who says what he has to to get power, who uses the working class to justify his own power."

Political reporter Ian Ward:

"Vance has completed a dramatic evolution from outspoken Never Trumper to unwavering Trump loyalist and dogged defender of the ex-president's most authoritarian assertions."

Sources: PBS, CNN, NPR, TIME, Axios, The Globe and Mail, Ohio Capital Journal, Snopes, The Hill, CBS News, OpenSecrets, Bloomberg, CNBC. Confidence: CONFIRMED.

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Accountability Assessment

What JD Vance Is Responsible For

1. Defaming two killed U.S. citizens from the White House podium.

Vance used the authority of the Vice Presidency to call Renee Good -- a mother of three shot dead by a federal agent -- "a deranged leftist" whose death was "a tragedy of her own making," who was "brainwashed," and whose killer "deserves our gratitude." He amplified the claim that Alex Pretti -- an ICU nurse shot in the back while pinned by six agents -- was an "assassin." Both characterizations were contradicted by video evidence, the government's own internal review, and in the Pretti case, by President Trump himself. When asked to apologize to Pretti's family, Vance said: "For what?"

2. Inciting terror against a community through deliberate lies.

Vance amplified false claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio eating pets -- continuing to spread the lie after his own staff was informed by city officials that it was baseless. The lies resulted in 33 bomb threats against Springfield schools, hospitals, and businesses. PolitiFact named it the "Lie of the Year." Vance admitted on CNN: "If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."

3. Escalating enforcement rhetoric in the wake of lethal violence.

Hours after an unarmed U.S. citizen was shot dead by ICE, Vance went on Fox News and announced "door-to-door" enforcement operations. After the second killing, he blamed "engineered chaos" on leftist agitators rather than on the armed federal agents who killed an unarmed nurse.

4. Providing rhetorical cover for a culture of impunity.

Every time Vance calls a killed civilian a "deranged leftist" or an "assassin," he reinforces the institutional message that federal agents face no consequences for killing civilians. His false claim that ICE agents have "absolute immunity" -- rejected by every legal expert who addressed it -- signals to agents that the Vice President will protect them regardless of what they do.

5. Advocating for the machinery of mass deportation.

53+ Deaths in Year One

Vance's legislative record and executive advocacy make him an architect of the policy framework that produced 53+ deaths in ICE/CBP custody in the administration's first year.

Vance's legislative record -- killing the bipartisan border bill, stripping DACA healthcare, ending birthright citizenship -- combined with his executive role championing "door-to-door" operations and reduced legal immigration, makes him an architect of the policy framework that produced 53+ deaths in ICE/CBP custody in the administration's first year.

Consequences Faced

• Criminal complaint filed by Haitian Bridge Alliance over Springfield lies
• Bipartisan criticism (limited) for the "assassin" claim after Trump disavowed it
• 61% of voters say ICE has "gone too far" (NYT poll)
• Widespread condemnation from civil rights organizations, legal experts, and religious leaders including Pope Francis

Consequences NOT Faced

• No personal legal consequences for defaming killed citizens
• No retraction of any false statement
• No apology to any victim's family
• No Congressional testimony on the killings
• No disciplinary action of any kind
• Continues to hold the second-highest office in the country
• Continues to use the White House podium to defend killings and threaten escalation

The Function of JD Vance

Vance's role in the administration is specific and essential: he translates state violence into populist narrative. Where Noem issues the operational orders and Miller drafts the policy, Vance provides the rhetorical framework that makes killing civilians in residential neighborhoods sound like law enforcement. He calls dead mothers "deranged leftists" so that Americans don't have to reckon with what actually happened. He calls killed nurses "assassins" so that federal agents never face accountability. He blames "engineered chaos" on protesters so that the architects of the chaos -- the officials who deployed 2,000 armed agents to a single American city -- face no questions.

The man who called Trump "America's Hitler" in 2016 now stands at the White House podium and tells the American people to thank the agents who kill their neighbors.

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Sources

Direct Quotes and Press Conferences

1. CNN -- Vance calls death of MN woman "tragedy of her own making" (video) -- https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/08/us/video/vance-on-death-of-mn-woman-digvid-vrtc
2. PBS -- Vance blames victim at White House briefing -- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-vance-joins-white-house-briefing
3. NBC News -- Vance: "tragedy of her own making" -- https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/vance-says-death-minnesota-woman-killed-ice-was-tragedy-making-rcna253063
4. FOX 9 -- Vance defends ICE shooting -- https://www.fox9.com/news/vp-vance-defends-ice-shooting-tragedy-her-own-making-jan-2026
5. Newsweek -- Vance calls Good "deranged leftist" -- https://www.newsweek.com/jd-vance-calling-woman-shot-by-ice-deranged-leftist-sparks-liberal-fury-11330781
6. Truthout -- Vance says Americans should "thank" ICE agent -- https://truthout.org/articles/jd-vance-says-americans-should-actually-thank-ice-agent-who-killed-renee-good/
7. Common Dreams -- Vance blames "left-wing network" -- https://www.commondreams.org/news/jd-vance-renee-good
8. Common Dreams -- "Door-to-door" operations announced -- https://www.commondreams.org/news/vance-ice-door-to-door

Pretti Killing and "Assassin" Claim

1. Common Dreams -- Vance scoffs "For what?" on apology -- https://www.commondreams.org/news/vance-wont-apologize-pretti
2. Newsweek -- Vance refuses to apologize for Pretti remarks -- https://www.newsweek.com/jd-vance-refuses-apologize-for-alex-pretti-remarks-minneapolis-shootings-11463596
3. Bring Me The News -- Vance refuses apology for "would-be assassin" claim -- https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/jd-vance-refuses-to-apologize-for-would-be-assassin-claim-about-alex-pretti
4. The Mirror -- Vance refuses to apologize to Pretti family -- https://www.themirror.com/news/politics/jd-vance-refuses-apologize-alex-1661943
5. HuffPost -- Vance won't apologize for amplifying smears -- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jd-vance-apologize-alex-pretti-family_n_698380fee4b0926afe6a014e
6. CNN -- Trump officials' shifting rhetoric on Pretti -- https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/25/politics/trump-officials-shifting-rhetoric-alex-pretti
7. NPR -- Internal review contradicts White House narrative -- https://www.npr.org/2026/01/27/g-s1-107608/alex-pretti-death-internal-review-immigration

"Engineered Chaos" and Minneapolis

1. Fox News -- Vance calls Minneapolis "engineered chaos" -- https://www.foxnews.com/politics/vance-calls-minneapolis-unrest-engineered-chaos-after-deadly-federal-shooting-incident
2. KSTP -- Vance in Minneapolis to "tone down the temperature" -- https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/jd-vance-coming-to-minneapolis-on-thursday/
3. Axios -- Vance defends ICE tactics in Minnesota -- https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/01/23/vance-visit-minneapolis-ice-surge
4. MPR News -- Vance calls for more local cooperation -- https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/22/jd-vance-heads-to-minnesota-amid-high-tensions-over-immigration-actions
5. The New Republic -- Vance and the 5-year-old detention -- https://newrepublic.com/article/205616/jd-vance-minneapolis-ice-5-year-old

Springfield, Ohio

1. NPR -- Vance repeats baseless pet-eating claims -- https://www.npr.org/2024/09/10/nx-s1-5107320/jd-vance-springfield-ohio-haitians-pets
2. Wikipedia -- Springfield pet-eating hoax -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_pet-eating_hoax
3. ABC News -- Fact-checking Vance's Haitian claims -- https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fact-checking-jd-vances-claims-haitian-migrants-springfield/story?id=113844705
4. ABC News -- Vance kept claims after aide told baseless -- https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/vance-false-claims-haitian-migrants-after-aide-told/story?id=113821189
5. NBC News -- 33 bomb threats in Springfield -- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/30-bomb-threats-made-springfield-ohio-false-pets-claims-rcna171392
6. Rolling Stone -- Bomb threats don't stop Vance -- https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/jd-vance-attacks-springfield-immigrants-bomb-threats-1235101833/
7. The Hill -- Haitian group files criminal charges -- https://thehill.com/latino/4897028-haitian-immigrants-springfield-ohio-criminal/
8. PolitiFact -- Fact checks from Vance CNN interview -- https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/sep/16/4-fact-checks-from-jd-vances-cnn-interview-with-da/
9. Axios -- Vance "zero-shame strategy" -- https://www.axios.com/2024/09/18/jd-vance-pet-eating-ohio-debunked

Background and Transformation

1. PBS -- Vance's political views and shifts -- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/jd-vances-political-views-and-how-they-have-shifted-in-recent-years
2. NPR -- Vance's rise from Hillbilly Elegy to White House -- https://www.npr.org/2025/05/28/nx-s1-5413292/understanding-jd-vances-meteoric-rise-from-hillbilly-elegy-to-the-white-house
3. TIME -- The Reinvention of JD Vance -- https://time.com/7024414/jd-vance-2024-interview/
4. Axios -- Vance's journey from "Never Trump" to VP -- https://www.axios.com/2024/07/16/jd-vance-trump-statements
5. Snopes -- Vance called Trump "America's Hitler" -- https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/vance-trump-hitler-quote/
6. Ohio Capital Journal -- Vance's transformation to MAGA combatant -- https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/08/03/j-d-vances-transformation-from-trump-translator-to-maga-combatant/

Senate Record and Policy

1. ABC News -- Vance: "start with 1 million" deportations -- https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/jd-vance-mass-deportations-start-1-million-defends/story?id=112739447
2. PBS -- Vance calls for legal immigration reduction -- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-vance-calls-for-legal-immigration-reduction-during-turning-point-event-at-university-of-mississippi
3. National Immigration Forum -- Vance and Walz on immigration policy -- https://forumtogether.org/article/jd-vance-and-tim-walz-on-key-immigration-policy-areas/
4. Congress.gov -- Senator JD Vance record -- https://www.congress.gov/member/j-vance/V000137
5. Heritage Action -- Vance scorecard 93% -- https://heritageaction.com/scorecard/members/V000137/118

Campaign Plane / Deportation Flights

1. NC Newsline -- Vance's campaign plane now carries shackled deportees -- https://ncnewsline.com/2025/05/29/j-d-vances-campaign-plane-carried-anti-immigrant-rhetoric-now-it-carries-shackled-deportees/
2. Alabama Reflector -- Campaign plane to deportation plane -- https://alabamareflector.com/2025/06/02/j-d-vances-campaign-plane-carried-anti-immigrant-rhetoric-now-it-carries-shackled-deportees/

Thiel and Financial Backing

1. The Hill -- Thiel gives $10M to Vance super PAC -- https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/543242-billionaire-peter-thiel-gives-10-million-to-super-pac-backing-potential-jd/
2. OpenSecrets -- Thiel dark money backing -- https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/02/peter-thiel-tied-dark-money-group-helping-bankroll-super-pac-spending-on-2022-election/
3. Yahoo Finance -- Thiel funded Vance's Ohio campaign with $15M -- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/future-vice-president-jd-vance-140715922.html

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This dossier is a living document. It will be updated as new evidence emerges.

Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT -- public sources only
Three-source minimum for all major claims

Every. Human. Matters.
Every. Claim. Gets. Verified.