Vice President JD Vance set off a firestorm on Friday when he tried to defend Donald Trump’s illegal deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia—but instead ended up blowing a hole in Trump’s case.
“Call me crazy but if you got two hearings and a valid deportation order then you shouldn’t be in the United States,” Vance wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
And just like that, the internet lit up. Critics pounced, mocking Vance for his smug tone and for admitting—probably without realizing it—that Trump’s actions were illegal.
One user fired back: “Call me crazy, but if two federal judges, an Appeals Court & the United States Supreme Court give you a directive (9-0, btw), then you follow it.” Others called the tweet “dumb,” “smug,” and “revealing.”
Others shredded Vance’s legal logic: “The deportation order explicitly said you could not send him to El Salvador and you sent him to El Salvador. I know you work for a convicted felon but rule of laws still matters!”
Some took direct aim at Trump: “Call me crazy, but if you’re a court-adjudicated rapist and a convicted felon (on 34 counts) then you shouldn’t be the president of the United States.”
Others fired back with a mix of disbelief, rage, and sarcasm—pointing out that Vance had just destroyed Trump’s legal argument.
“The White House itself called his deportation an error,” one user pointed out.
Another user asked: “Are we sure he went to Yale? Has anyone actually seen his diploma?”
“Still ignoring the fact that a Judge had granted Garcia protected status from deportation again, JD?” another wrote. “Call me crazy for expecting our Vice President to stand up for the Fifth and Eighth Amendments.”
“Call me crazy, but if you have a ruling from the Supreme Court—obey it, Shillbilly Vance,” user @ArtCandee snapped.
They weren’t just throwing insults. They were making a legal point Vance conveniently ignored: Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador wasn’t just cruel—it was illegal. A judge granted Garcia “withholding of removal” in 2019, which means he could not be sent back to El Salvador because it would put his life at risk. But Trump’s administration did it anyway.
When Vance now claims there’s a “valid deportation order,” he’s actually admitting that Trump could follow the law and try again—legally. Instead, they chose to break it. That’s not just wrong—it’s dangerous.
A conservative federal judge just slammed the administration over this very point. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson wrote: “Regardless, he is still entitled to due process. If the government is confident of its position, it should be assured that position will prevail in proceedings to terminate the withholding of removal order.”
Translation: If you think he’s a gang member, then prove it in court. Don’t just disappear him into a foreign prison.
That’s not just a legal failure. It’s a political risk. Trump’s team wants to spin this as Democrats siding with “illegal aliens.” But the facts don’t back that up. Garcia is married to a U.S. citizen. He has three kids. He works as a metalworker. He checked in regularly with ICE, just like he was supposed to. He’s been here since he was 16.
Most Americans don’t support deporting people like him, especially after years of peaceful life in the U.S. And definitely not by ignoring courts and dumping them in dangerous prisons abroad.
So why hasn’t Trump brought him back and followed the law? Simple: He’s afraid he might lose in court. And that would ruin the strongman image he’s selling to voters.
But Vance gave the game away. By calling the deportation “valid,” he admits there are legal channels the Trump administration could use. They just don’t want to. Because if they follow the law, they might not get the outcome they want.
That’s not leadership. That’s cowardice wrapped in cruelty.
