Tammy Duckworth fires back at JD Vance, calls Forrest Gump comparison 'petty insult'

WASHINGTON, DC: Sen Tammy Duckworth pushed back on Wednesday, January 28, after Vice President Vance criticized her during a Senate hearing, likening her to the fictional character Forrest Gump, a figure depicted in the film as having both physical and intellectual disabilities.

The sharp exchange followed a heated confrontation between Duckworth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio over whether US operations in the Caribbean are governed by the laws of war and if American forces could be drawn into Venezuela.

Tammy Duckworth says it's her job to hold JD Vance 'accountable'

Duckworth, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel who lost both her legs when her Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq, dismissed Vance’s criticism. Duckworth wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "Forrest Gump ran toward danger in Vietnam. Your boss ran to his podiatrist crying bone spurs."

The comment referred to President Donald Trump’s medical draft deferments that excused him from serving in the Vietnam War. The Democrat continued, “Petty insults at the expense of people with disabilities won’t change the fact that you’re risking troops’ lives to boost Chevron’s stock price. It’s my job to hold you accountable.”

Her comment was a direct response to Vance’s earlier post on X, which read, “Watching Tammy Duckworth obsessively interrupt Marco Rubio during this hearing is like watching Forest Gump argue with Isaac Newton.”

In a follow-up post, Vance praised Rubio, writing, “Thank God we have a Secretary of State who knows his facts AND has the patience of Job. Great job,” a post that had been seen by roughly half a million people at the time of publication.

At 36, Duckworth was piloting the helicopter about 50 miles from Baghdad when a rocket-propelled grenade struck her aircraft, nearly taking her life, according to her website. Despite the severe injuries, she continued serving for another ten years in the Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel before eventually being elected to represent Illinois in the Senate.

Meanwhile, Vance spent four years in the Marine Corps Public Affairs Office. His service included a six-month deployment to Iraq, during which, by his own account, he did not experience combat. He later used GI Bill benefits to pursue a law degree at Yale Law School.

Tammy Duckworth and Marco Rubio clash over Venezuela

Illinois Gov JB Pritzker came to Duckworth’s defense, responding to Vance’s post by saying, “That’s a US Senator doing her job. This is a random troll tweeting at her.” The Democratic Party of Illinois also backed Duckworth for asking tough questions during the hearing.

“Illinois voters sent Tammy Duckworth to the US Senate to ask tough questions and demand answers. Sneering at her for doing her job is vile. That kind of contempt says everything about JD Vance,” the party wrote in a post on X responding to Vance.

The exchange unfolded after Duckworth and Rubio clashed intensely in a Senate hearing over whether US operations in the Caribbean should be treated as wartime actions and if those moves risk pulling American forces into Venezuela.

“The president has already said that he was ready to put American troops in Venezuela,” Duckworth said. Rubio pushed back, responding, “No, I think the president said that he retains the right as commander-in-chief to protect the United States against any imminent threats. Maybe that involves troops, maybe that involves air power. We hope that, we don’t anticipate, that being the case in Venezuela."

Duckworth said, "I worry that you’re playing fast and loose with our nation, and added later, “Mr. Secretary, we don’t need to be in another forever war, and that is the path that we are going towards."