A lip-reading expert has reported that JD Vance, a close associate of Donald Trump, was overheard making a chilling threat while the president addressed Congress.
Vance, who previously compared Trump to both Hitler and Nixon, has now emerged as one of his staunchest supporters. Just before Trump’s controversial speech, he was seen smiling and telling House Speaker Mike Johnson that the new president’s opponents would soon experience a “full reckoning.”
According to lip-reading specialist Jeremy Freeman, Vance told Johnson, “Yes it is, a full reckoning, and long overdue.” He also reportedly remarked, “By the way, I think the speech is going to be great. However, I’m not sure how you manage to do this for ninety minutes.”
To maintain the confidentiality of their discussion, Johnson moved the microphone aside. He replied, “The hardest part was during Biden’s speech, which felt like a pointless campaign address.”
As reported by the Express, Vance’s mention of a “full reckoning” raises questions about whom he was targeting. While there are several possibilities, his comments came shortly after a tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Additionally, Vance has recently expressed frustration with more than just the Ukrainian leader; he faced backlash this week for referring to Britain as a “random country.”
Since becoming a U.S. Senator in 2022, Vance has defended Trump against his critics, blaming them for a failed assassination attempt in Pennsylvania last July. Following the incident, he tweeted, “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”
Trump’s supporters cheered enthusiastically during his speech, in which he labeled his predecessor, Joe Biden, as “the worst president in American history.” In contrast, Democrats in attendance remained silent, with some holding signs that suggested Trump was providing tax breaks to billionaires at the expense of working-class families.
Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon commented, “We cannot continue with business as usual while Trump and his unelected billionaire co-president, Elon Musk, are dismantling vital government agencies that support the well-being of working families. The President had a chance to change his approach tonight, but instead, he stood before the American people and escalated his reckless plans to undermine essential federal agencies, disregard our laws, and violate our Constitution.”