Vice President JD Vance faced immediate backlash on Wednesday after he compared Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost both legs in combat, to the fictional character Forrest Gump. This remark came during a tense Senate hearing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Vance shared his comment on X while Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, was questioning Rubio during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee session that dealt with the administration’s Venezuela policy and U.S. military posture.
“Watching Tammy Duckworth obsessively interrupt Marco Rubio during this hearing is like watching Forrest Gump argue with Isaac Newton,” Vance wrote. He then posted again, praising Rubio: “Thank God we have a Secretary of State who knows his facts and has the patience of Job. Great job,” Vance added.
Duckworth responded on X by mentioning Trump’s Vietnam-era draft deferments. She criticized Vance’s comment as an insult to a person with a disability. “Forrest Gump ran toward danger in Vietnam. Your boss ran to his podiatrist crying bone spurs,” Duckworth wrote. She 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.”
Watching Tammy Duckworth obsessively interrupt Marco Rubio during this hearing is like watching Forest Gump argue with Isaac Newton.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 28, 2026
Duckworth served in the Illinois Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq in 2004. Her Senate biography states that on Nov. 12, 2004, a rocket-propelled grenade hit the helicopter she was flying, resulting in the loss of both legs and partial use of her right arm.
This exchange arose from Duckworth’s questioning of Rubio about Venezuela and the administration’s legal reasons for certain actions. Fox 32 Chicago reported that Duckworth repeatedly pressed Rubio on whether the United States is effectively at war. She also challenged the use of the Alien Enemies Act, arguing that it justifies large-scale deportation and increased policing.
🚨 HOLY SMOKES, MARCO RUBIO UNLEASHED. Dem Sen. Tammy Duckworth is stunned!
“ANYONE who believes that gangs that flood our country with fentanyl or cocaine are not threats to the United States is NOT LIVING IN REALITY and CERTAINLY does not reflect the opinion of most… pic.twitter.com/BxHASahA3v
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 28, 2026
Rubio denied that the United States is at war, but he defended the administration’s strategy against criminal and trafficking networks during the hearing, according to The Daily Beast.
Democratic officials and advocacy groups added their criticism of Vance’s post. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called the vice president “a random troll tweeting at her.” Rep. John Garamendi, a Democrat from California, described the comparison as “classless and disgraceful,” urging Vance to remove the post. Rep. Shri Thanedar, a Michigan Democrat, highlighted that Vance’s take from the film seemed to be mocking people with disabilities, as reported by Fox News.
The Daily Beast noted that Vance served in the Marine Corps public affairs office and was deployed to Iraq, though he stated he did not see combat.
This dispute intensified the heated political discussion surrounding the administration’s Venezuela policy and the Senate oversight hearing, while also drawing renewed focus on the language used about disabled veterans in elected positions.
