Staff Reports
A man was arrested after smashing windows and attempting to gain entry to Vice President J.D. Vance’s Cincinnati home in the early hours of January 5, 2026, in what the Secret Service quickly described as an incident of property damage at a residence associated with the vice president. This wasn’t some garden-variety vandalism; a hammer was reportedly used and a Secret Service vehicle was also damaged, prompting immediate law-enforcement action and an arrest on the scene.
Court documents and local reports say the suspect, identified as 26-year-old William DeFoor, hammered out several windows and smashed at least one government vehicle in the driveway before agents took him into custody. He faces local charges including criminal damaging, trespass, obstruction of official business, and vandalism while federal authorities review the case. The speed of the response was good, but the fact that this happened at all is deeply unsettling.
Several outlets note DeFoor has in the past been involved with the county court’s mental health system, and some reports say he demanded to be called Julia and uses she/her pronouns on social accounts. Other pieces have highlighted that his father has donated to Democratic causes, though motive remains unconfirmed and authorities have not established a political link. We must report what’s known without leaping to conspiratorial conclusions, even as Americans demand answers.
This is not merely a personal crime; it was a direct breach at the home of the nation’s second-highest official. Secret Service and Cincinnati police responses were timely, but taxpayers deserve an explanation for how a person with a known history could make it past layers of security long enough to break windows and damage federal property. Those responsible for protecting our leaders must be held accountable and given the resources to prevent an escalation next time.
Vice President Vance rightly expressed gratitude to the agents who intercepted the suspect and pushed back against sensational media treatment that exposes private family details. Too often the press treats violence against conservatives as fodder for clicks while excusing or downplaying threats against public servants on the political left. If we are serious about safety, we must have a media culture that respects privacy and a justice system that treats attacks on officials as the grave threat they are.
This incident fits into an alarming national pattern: politically motivated violence and targeted attacks on public figures and their families have risen in recent years, and complacency won’t cut it. From home-invasion attempts to outright murders in previous high-profile cases, America can no longer pretend strong security and unequivocal law-and-order responses are optional. Leaders on both sides should stop stoking division and start supporting the men and women who keep our communities and officials safe.
Prosecutors must pursue the strongest appropriate charges, and Congress should review whether Secret Service protocols need shoring up around private residences. Law-abiding citizens must also be able to live free from threats and intimidation without watching their officials be treated as vulnerable targets. If we love this country, we will demand firm, even-handed justice and refuse to let violent behavior become a political cudgel.
Americans should stand united in condemnation of attacks on families and the institutions that protect them, insist on accountability, and ensure that those who plot or carry out such violence face consequences under the full weight of the law. Our politics are fierce, but our commitment to public safety and lawful order must be fiercer.
