WASHINGTON—Vice President JD Vance has addressed public criticism from his cousin, Nate Vance, a volunteer fighter in Ukraine, who recently condemned JD’s stance on the war and his handling of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House.
Nate Vance voiced his frustration in an interview with the French publication Le Figaro on March 9, slamming the vice president for his support of President Donald Trump’s approach to Ukraine and accusing him of failing to acknowledge the reality on the ground.
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“Just because I’m related to you doesn’t mean I’m going to stand by and watch you get my comrades killed,” Nate said. “When JD justifies his distrust of Zelensky by the ‘reports’ he has seen, I thought I was going to choke.” Nate was particularly angered by JD’s remarks calling Zelenskyy “disrespectful” and suggesting that the Ukrainian leader “should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end” to the war with Russia.
“Donald Trump and my cousin clearly believe they can placate Vladimir Putin. They are wrong,” Nate stated. “The Russians are not about to forget our support for Ukraine. We are Vladimir Putin’s useful idiots.” Nate also revealed that he had attempted to reach out to JD’s office multiple times, offering his firsthand experience from the front lines, but never received a response.
“I could have told him the truth, without pretense, without personal interest. He never tried to find out more,” he said. JD Vance responded to the criticism in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying he had deliberately refrained from publicly discussing his cousin’s service to avoid putting him in further danger.
“I didn’t want to endanger his life more than it already was,” JD said. He also denied intentionally ignoring Nate but questioned why his cousin chose to contact his Senate office rather than reaching out through their family. “I am unsure why Nate felt the need to reach out to my Senate office, rather than to his mom, dad, or sister, all of whom I am in contact with regularly,” JD added.
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Despite the public spat, JD maintained that he respects his cousin, describing him as “the toughest guy [he] knew” and stating that he would be “always happy to talk to him.” Nate continued his criticism the following day during an appearance on CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront, where he expressed his shock over the tense confrontation between Trump, JD, and Zelenskyy at the White House.
“There’s a certain level of decorum that should be reached,” Nate said. “When you publicly ridicule someone in a way that forces them to defend themselves, it was really disappointing to see.” The family dispute highlights broader tensions over U.S. policy toward Ukraine, as the Biden administration and congressional leaders continue to debate military aid and diplomatic strategies in the ongoing war.
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