JD Vance says Republicans shouldn’t fear using federal power effectively
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Vice President J.D. Vance told an audience at Turning Point USA on Wednesday that Republicans should not be afraid to use federal power, arguing that the left has weaponized it in the past.
Vance was responding to a question from an audience member at the University of Mississippi, also known as “Ole Miss,” who asked whether Republicans were at risk of “abusing that power” if they used it aggressively in running the federal government.
“We can’t be afraid to do something just because the left might do it in the future,” Vance said. “Whether we do it or not, the left will do it anyway. This is the takeaway from the last 40 years.”
ERIKA KIRK DELIVERS RAW, FAITH-FULL CONDITION TO HER LATE HUSBAND IN OLE MISS: ‘I SLEPT BY THE BED’
Vice President J.D. Vance addresses the Turning Point USA audience at the University of Mississippi, Oxford, on Wednesday, October 30, 2025. (Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images)
Vance prefaced his answer by sarcastically asking, “What happens if Joe Biden sends in the Federal Bureau of Investigation to start arresting his political rivals?” He started by saying.
The Trump administration has deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Memphis, Tennessee, with plans to send troops to as many as 19 states to bolster immigration enforcement and fight crime.
Vice President J.D. Vance addresses the Turning Point USA audience at the University of Mississippi, Oxford, on Wednesday, October 30, 2025. (Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images)
VANCE ISSUES MIDWAY WARNING, SAYS DEMOCRATS’ ANGER COULD INCREASE TURNOUT IN 2026
“If Joe Biden wanted to deploy the National Guard to go after killers in a red state where the murder rate is twice that of third world countries, that would be a great use of the National Guard,” Vance continued.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think Joe Biden would use it that way,” the vice president added. “Frankly, what I’m concerned about is what the far left is currently doing against American law enforcement, and that’s what we need to prevent.”
Members of the District of Columbia National Guard standing next to a MATV vehicle scan the area while on patrol outside Union Station in Washington, D.C., Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
He said preventing future abuses of federal power requires holding those responsible accountable.
“And the answer to that question is: Make sure the people who do this face penalties for using federal power against American citizens,” he said. “That’s exactly what we’re trying to do, by the way.”
