Hammer-Wielding Madman Attacks JD Vance’s Home in Midnight Attack

A deranged Ohio man armed with a hammer sparked a full-scale security emergency at Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home after allegedly storming the property at midnight, smashing windows, and trying to force his way inside while the Secret Service scrambled to stop him.

Authorities say 26-year-old William DeFoor didn’t just break windows. He allegedly marched up the driveway like a man on a mission—slamming a government vehicle, then attempting to batter his way into the home of the sitting vice president of the United States.

“This was not a harmless disturbance,” a senior federal security official told us. “This man was violently trying to break into the vice president’s house. Agents had seconds to react.”

The Secret Service intercepted him before he made it inside.

Vice President Vance, who had returned to Washington hours earlier, confirmed the situation in a blunt statement that underscored the seriousness of the threat.

“As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows,” Vance wrote. “I’m grateful to the Secret Service and Cincinnati police for responding quickly.”

He added a plea to the press: “We try to protect our kids. I’m skeptical of the news value of plastering images of our home with holes in the windows.”

One Republican insider in Washington was far less measured.

“If someone tried to smash into the home of a Democratic vice president, the media would be screaming about democracy under attack,” the aide said. “But when it’s JD Vance, it’s treated like a quirky crime story. It’s outrageous.”

Newly reviewed court records reveal DeFoor’s troubling pattern of destruction. In April, he pleaded guilty to vandalizing a Cincinnati interior design firm—causing thousands in damage. He was ordered into mental-health treatment but clearly roamed free long before his two-year placement was supposed to end.

Neighbors described him Monday as “volatile” and “a ticking bomb.”

“One day he seemed fine. The next day he’d be screaming in the yard,” a former neighbor said. “Everyone knew he was unstable. No one guessed he’d go after the vice president’s house.”

This isn’t the first tense moment for the Vance family’s residence. In March 2025, pro-Ukraine agitators surrounded the home and allegedly confronted Vance while he walked with his toddler daughter.

Vance later blasted the activists: “If you’re chasing a 3-year-old as part of a political protest, you’re a s–t person.”

The vice president purchased the Walnut Hills home in 2018 for $1.4 million—long before joining President Trump’s ticket. Residents call the neighborhood peaceful. Monday’s attack shattered that illusion.

Cincinnati police declined to comment, but investigators were seen canvassing the property into the early morning, photographing shattered glass and damaged government vehicles.

DeFoor faces a Tuesday court appearance. Prosecutors are expected to push for high-level detention given the escalation and the fact that he targeted the second-highest office in the country.

One veteran Secret Service official gave a chilling assessment:
“This could have turned into a national tragedy. The man was steps from the children’s bedrooms. Imagine if the family had been home.”

The investigation remains active, and officials say more charges may be added.