JD Vance did a rapid reverse ferret after appearing to troll the UK’s troops and precisely no-one bought it – 17 military-grade comebacks
A ‘reverse ferret’ is defined as a ‘sudden volte-face in a line on a certain issue, especially one without acknowledgment of the previous position’. And reverse ferrets don’t come much bigger than this, from JD Vance.
The US vice president – surely the only American alive capable of you making you yearn even the tiniest bit for Donald Trump – went wildly viral after he said Ukraine’s security would not be guaranteed in the hands of ‘20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.’
Bad news for Starmer and Macron. Vance confirms the only US security guarantee in Ukraine will be the mineral deal. He also plays down British & French peacekeeping troops as “20k troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”.pic.twitter.com/6bujpsjygX
— Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) March 4, 2025
Which everyone took to mean 20,000 troops from the UK and France, obviously, and got the proverbial bucket of sh*t poured all over him, and quite right too.
By this person.
Well that is quite some slap in the face for all those who British Soldiers who fought alongside their close Allies when they were needed… he really is a very nasty piece of work isn’t he? https://t.co/EtVQzd8b4x
— Deborah Meaden (@DeborahMeaden) March 4, 2025
And indeed this person.
“20k troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”.
Have you even said thank you once? https://t.co/K9Et81431u pic.twitter.com/mBBSSIv1Z6
— Marcus Walker (@WalkerMarcus) March 4, 2025
Now Vance has come out and said his comments were misinterpreted, managing to be hilarious, infuriating and entirely predictable all at the same time.
This is absurdly dishonest.
I don’t even mention the UK or France in the clip, both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years, and beyond. https://t.co/hrkb5pTV8p
— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 4, 2025
‘Absurdly dishonest.’ LOL.
But let’s be direct: there are many countries who are volunteering (privately or publicly) support who have neither the battlefield experience nor the military equipment to do anything meaningful.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 4, 2025
And it’s fair to say that no-one – absolutely no-one – was believing a single syllable of whatever the hell that was.
1.
You’re lying again. It’s genuinely pathetic how you lack the courage to stand by your words and are now desperately trying to backpedal; only the U.K. and France had made serious proposals to commit troops in the numbers (20k) that you’re referring to.
— Jimmy Rushton (@JimmySecUK) March 4, 2025
2.
Backpedalling furiously, I see. Only the UK & France had proposed anything approaching scale of 20k troops, so I don’t see how Vance would be referring to anyone else. But let’s take smaller states. Denmark & Estonia took same casualties per capita as America in Afghanistan. https://t.co/20SZZUAuIO
— Shashank Joshi (@shashj) March 4, 2025
3.
Of course you didn’t but by the same token only 2 countries had pledged ‘boots on the ground’ at the point you made your comment and therefore there can only be a single conclusion drawn
— dave lawrence (@dave43law) March 4, 2025
4.
VP Vance quotes my tweet and says that he never mentioned the UK or France. @VP @JDVance could you please tell us which “random countries” were you referring to in the video, as so far only the UK and France have announced to be willing to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine? https://t.co/YIvYGtGP3M
— Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) March 4, 2025
5.
I did not have JD Vance scrambling to backpedal so fast that his eyeliner smudged on my Pre-Apocalyptic Bingo Card today.
(Also, spare me the indignant “I didn’t say that” we knew exactly what you meant – and so do you). https://t.co/GrrmBLuVpV
— Bearly Politics (@i_iratus) March 4, 2025
6.
We watched the video, we know who you meant. UK lives lost and you belittled them.
— RklbsFan (@RklbsFan) March 4, 2025
7.
James David.
(I genuinely can’t stand acronyms for names)
James
Or can I call you Jim?
(Ahem)
Jim:
You got found out old boy.
And now using terms from Dean my paper boy ‘Blud you is fessing up!’
Or as we say in Random Britain:
‘What an utter clot you are sir!’— Sir Michael Take CBE (@MichaelTakeMP) March 4, 2025
8.
If you weren’t talking about Britain and France, whose brave troops have stood by America and NATO on many many occasions – and who are the only countries who’ve pledged troops to peacekeeping in Ukraine – who exactly were you dissing? It’s time to climb down and apologise. https://t.co/PfEtAsobLQ
— Joe Rich (@joerichlaw) March 4, 2025