Vance says US expected to fix global wars but Washington won’t act on problems in its ‘own hemisphere’
WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance is drawing sharp attention after asserting that the Western Hemisphere belongs to the United States, a sweeping claim made as he defended the Trump administration's ongoing military campaign against alleged psychoactive-substance traffickers in the Caribbean.
The operation has already resulted in 22 suspected vessels being targeted and 83 reported deaths, fueling legal and diplomatic questions.
Vance’s remarks were posted Tuesday on X, where he also criticized what he called “permanent Washington” for resisting the use of force close to home while demanding US involvement across the globe.
His comments come as the White House continues to manage backlash over a recent missile strike reported to have left survivors clinging to burning debris before a second hit was ordered.
JD Vance defends Caribbean strikes, says Western Hemisphere belongs to US
In a post on X, Vance argued that Washington is too willing to deploy US forces abroad while resisting similar action within what he described as America’s “own hemisphere.” “We've been told for decades the US military must go everywhere and do the impossible all over world,” he said.
“But the red line for permanent Washington is using the military to destroy n***o terrorists in our own hemisphere.”
His words appeared to suggest that the United States has rightful claim over the entire Western Hemisphere, an area spanning North and South America and surrounding waters, historically shaped by the Monroe Doctrine, which opposes external interference but does not assert US ownership.
I'll add: we've been told for decades the US military must go everywhere and do the impossible all over the world.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) December 2, 2025
But the red line for permanent Washington is using the military to destroy narco terrorists in our own hemisphere.
The vice president’s comments came in response to Republican Sen Eric Schmitt’s online defense of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Schmitt lashed out at criticism of Hegseth following a Washington Post report alleging he directed a commander to “kill everybody” during a September 2 missile strike on a suspected smuggling vessel, where survivors were reportedly left clinging to burning wreckage until a second strike was ordered.
Schmitt argued that backlash from both Democrats and conservatives was merely an effort to “undermine” what he called the “secretary of war.”
Hegseth denied the report, labeling it “fake news,” and later shifted responsibility for the strike to US Special Operations Commander Frank Mitchell Bradley, whom he described as a “hero.” The White House confirmed Monday that Hegseth authorized Bradley to execute the operation.
JD Vance echoes Trump’s tough stance toward leaders tied to illicit networks
Tuesday’s statement is consistent with Vance’s past public support for Hegseth. When Hegseth was sworn in as secretary of defense, Vance told CBS’ 'Face the Nation' that he viewed Hegseth as “a disrupter,” acknowledging that “a lot of people don’t like that disruption.”
His unapologetic approach resurfaced in September when MAGA critic Brian Krassentein described the killings of foreigners as a “war crime.”
Vance’s framing of the hemisphere as belonging to the United States also echoes President Donald Trump’s uneven approach toward foreign leaders on issues involving illicit networks.
In October, Trump publicly accused Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro of being an “illegal d**g leader."
He has similarly labeled Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro as the head of the Cartel de los Soles, which the US designates as a foreign terrorist organization, though no credible evidence has been publicly presented to support the claim.
At the same time, Trump issued a full pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted on trafficking-related and firearms charges.
