what did jd vance say about tammy duckworth

JD Vance mocked Sen. Tammy Duckworth by comparing her to the fictional character Forrest Gump during a Senate hearing, prompting strong backlash and accusations that he was belittling a disabled combat veteran.

Quick Scoop: What He Said

During a tense Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing where Sen. Tammy Duckworth pressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio with aggressive questioning, JD Vance posted a jab about her on X (formerly Twitter).

He wrote something to the effect of:

“Watching Tammy Duckworth obsessively interrupt Marco Rubio during this hearing is like watching Forrest Gump argue with Isaac Newton.”

He followed up by praising Rubio as knowing his facts and having “the patience of Job.”

Key points:

• He framed Duckworth’s questioning as annoying and intellectually inferior by likening her to Forrest Gump.

• The comparison hit a nerve because Duckworth is a double–amputee Iraq War veteran and a Purple Heart recipient, long open about her injuries and disability.

• Critics saw this as mocking both her intelligence and, implicitly, her disability.

Duckworth’s Response

Duckworth responded publicly, calling his comments petty and insisting that her job is to hold the administration accountable, especially on decisions that risk U.S. troops’ lives.

Her main points included:

• Labeling his remarks “trivial” or “petty” insults at the expense of people with disabilities.

• Emphasizing that mocking a wounded veteran does not change the reality of policy decisions that could endanger service members.

• Reasserting that she was simply doing her duty as a senator during the hearing.

Political Fallout and Reactions

The remark quickly blew up into a broader political mini-firestorm.

Reactions included:

• Sen. Dick Durbin calling Vance’s comments “low” and “beneath” the dignity of a vice president, while praising Duckworth’s service and advocacy for veterans and people with disabilities.

• Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Democratic Party publicly defending Duckworth and characterizing Vance’s post as trolling rather than serious political argument.

• Commentators and outlets describing it as Vance “mocking a disabled combat veteran,” which fueled days of online debate and cable–news segments.

Why It’s Trending Now

This clash is trending in early 2026 because:

• It happened in the high-profile context of a foreign policy hearing about Venezuela, an already sensitive topic.

• Vance is vice president, so his social-media shots carry more weight and scrutiny than an ordinary partisan tweet.

• The combination of disability, veteran status, and a Forrest Gump comparison amplified accusations of disrespect toward wounded service members, which resonates strongly in U.S. political culture.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.