Rep. Jerry Nadler Slammed for Appearing to Suggest Citizens Justified In Shooting Masked ICE Agents



TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

by Elizabeth Weibel 3 Feb 2026
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Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) was criticized for appearing to suggest that people would be justified in shooting masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

“What is really the major problem in this country today is the fascism in our streets,” Nadler said. “The attacks on American citizens, by masked hoodlums. If you were attacked by a masked person, you might think you were being kidnapped. You’d be justified in shooting the person — to protect yourself.”

“We see people being shot, for what? For driving a car?” Nadler added. “We see people — we see these …. ICE goons break into people’s homes without a warrant. We see them drag out a man, an American citizen in his underwear without even permitting him — in the snow, without even permitting him to get dressed.”

The New York Post reported that Nadler’s comments were made during a House Judiciary Committee hearing.

In response, Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. called Nadler’s comments “demented” and “despicable behavior from an elected official.”

“This is demented,” Trump Jr. wrote in a post on X. “Democrats once again openly calling for violence!!!”

Donald Trump Jr.
@DonaldJTrumpJr
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This is demented. Democrats once again openly calling for violence!!!

Collin Rugg
@CollinRugg

JUST IN: Democrat Rep. Jerry Nadler appears to suggest American citizens would be justified in shooting masked ICE agents."What is really the major problem in this country today is the fascism in our streets.""The attacks on American citizens by masked hoodlums. If you were



https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/statu...78878446313784

3:09 PM · Feb 3, 2026

“Jerry Nadler is one of the highest ranking Democrats in the House of Representatives and he is openly calling for people to shoot federal law enforcement,” Vance said in a post on X. “This is despicable behavior from an elected official and I’m sure the leftwing media will cover it extensively.”

JD Vance
@JDVance
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Jerry Nadler is one of the highest ranking Democrats in the House of Representatives and he is openly calling for people to shoot federal law enforcement. This is despicable behavior from an elected official and I'm sure the leftwing media will cover it extensively.

Rapid Response 47



@RapidResponse47

Here is crazed lunatic @RepJerryNadler likening immigration enforcement to "attacks... by masked hoodlums":

"If you were attacked by a masked person, you might think you were being kidnapped. You'd be justified in shooting the person."

SICK!!



https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/...04550699016333

4:51 PM · Feb 3, 2026

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2...ed-ice-agents/