JD Vance Responds to Attack on His House, Takes Issue with Media Coverage

Vice President J.D. Vance responded Monday to the overnight attack on his Cincinnati home, thanking law enforcement for their swift response while urging the media to show restraint for the sake of his young children.

Authorities arrested 26-year-old William DeFoor of Kentucky after he allegedly used a hammer to smash windows at the Vance residence, according to the New York Post. The suspect was taken into custody shortly after midnight.

“DeFoor is charged with obstructing official business, criminal damaging or endangering, criminal trespass, and vandalism, according to Hamilton County jail records. His first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday,” the outlet reported.

The Associated Press cited law enforcement officials who said Secret Service agents responded immediately after hearing a loud noise at the home. Agents allegedly found a man who had broken a window with a hammer and was attempting to enter the residence. The suspect also vandalized a Secret Service vehicle while walking up the driveway, according to one official. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.

The incident occurred shortly after midnight Monday, authorities said.

Vice President Vance addressed the attack directly on social media, expressing gratitude to those who reached out and to the officers who intervened.

“I appreciate everyone’s well wishes about the attack at our home. As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows. I’m grateful to the secret service and the Cincinnati police for responding quickly,” Vance wrote.

He emphasized that his family was not present at the time of the incident. “We weren’t even home as we had returned already to DC,” the vice president noted. NBC affiliate WLWT-TV reported that the second family returned to Washington, D.C., on Sunday afternoon.

Vance concluded his message with a pointed request to the press, urging outlets to consider the impact of their coverage on his children.

“One request to the media: we try to protect our kids as much as possible from the realities of this life of public service. In that light, I am skeptical of the news value of plastering images of our home with holes in the windows.”

Vance and his wife, Usha, have three young children—sons Ewan and Vivek, and daughter Mirabel—ages 8, 5, and 3, respectively, according to People.

The incident adds to a troubling pattern of harassment directed at the vice president and his family. In March, the New York Post reported that pro-Ukraine protesters allegedly confronted Vance while he was walking with his daughter.

“I decided to speak with the protesters in the hopes that I could trade a few minutes of conversation for them leaving my toddler alone. (Nearly all of them agreed),” Vance wrote on X at the time.

“It was a mostly respectful conversation, but if you’re chasing a 3-year-old as part of a political protest, you’re a s*** person.”

Local Fox affiliate WXIX-TV reported that DeFoor has a prior criminal record. Court documents show he pleaded guilty in April to two counts of vandalism after causing roughly $2,000 in damage to an interior design business.

DeFoor was ordered to pay $5,500 in restitution and to undergo treatment at a mental health facility.

The latest incident has renewed concerns about political extremism, public safety, and the increasingly hostile environment facing elected officials—especially when violence spills over onto their families.