Vice President JD Vance’s fishing trip with a British official has sparked a bizarre attack from Democrats, who claim it’s a scandal worth headlines. The Democratic National Committee pounced on Vance for casting a line without a license, painting it as a symbol of misplaced priorities. This latest salvo fits a pattern of targeting Vance’s family-oriented outings with overheated rhetoric.
According to Fox News, on August 8, 2025, Vance joined British Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House, the foreign secretary’s residence south of London, for a diplomatic meeting. Before discussing weighty matters like the Israel-Hamas conflict and Russia’s war in Ukraine, the pair took time to fish on the estate’s private lake. The DNC spun this into a press release titled “VACATION VANCE AT IT AGAIN,” alleging the fishing was “illegal” due to a missing license.
The British Foreign Office admitted Lammy failed to secure a rod license, an administrative oversight for which he apologized to the Environment Agency. In England and Wales, anyone over 13 needs such a license to fish freshwater species. Democrats gleefully suggested Lammy could face a £2,000 fine, though no evidence confirms any penalty.
Vance, undeterred, quipped that the “special relationship” with Lammy suffered because “all of my kids caught a fish, but the foreign secretary did not.” This lighthearted jab underscores the absurdity of elevating a fishing trip to a political scandal. The DNC’s outrage feels like a stretch, especially when diplomatic engagements often include informal moments to build rapport.
The DNC’s press release claimed Vance is “living it up on the taxpayers’ dime” while families face “sky-high inflation.” This ignores the fact that Vance’s trip was an official visit, not a vacation, with a packed agenda including a speech to U.S. troops at RAF Fairford. The accusation of luxury indulgence falls flat when diplomatic duties are the context.
During his UK trip, Vance addressed troops for what the DNC claimed was a mere six minutes before retreating to a “luxury Cotswolds manor.” The DNC’s framing paints a brief speech as neglect, conveniently ignoring the logistical demands of a vice president’s schedule. Such selective outrage distorts the reality of a working trip.
The DNC also aimed for Vance’s earlier birthday kayaking trip, alleging he misused public resources by having the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers adjust the Ohio River’s water levels. This was done to ensure safety for his security detail’s watercraft, a standard precaution for a protected official. Twisting a safety measure into a scandal reveals more about the DNC’s tactics than Vance’s actions.
Democrats further claimed Vance’s UK social agenda was orchestrated by former Chancellor George Osborne, including time in the “Hamptons of the UK.” This vague jab lacks specifics and smells of class warfare, implying Vance’s modest upbringing in Appalachia, detailed in his book “Hillbilly Elegy,” somehow clashes with diplomatic hospitality. It’s a cheap shot that ignores his hard-earned success.
California Governor Gavin Newsom joined the fray, sniping, “Hope you enjoy your family time. The families you’re tearing apart certainly won’t.” This veiled reference to policy disagreements over healthcare and food assistance is a low blow, dragging Vance’s children into political mudslinging.
RNC spokeswoman Kiersten Pels fired back, saying the DNC’s donors might regret “funding press releases on a fishing rod license.” Her sharp retort highlights the triviality of the DNC’s attack, which seems designed to distract from substantive policy debates. Republicans argue Vance’s family time is a strength, not a liability.
Vance himself addressed the criticism on “The Katie Miller Podcast,” noting, “It’s possible to do it even in my job.” He emphasized carving out “a couple of hours with my family every single day,” a commitment that resonates with conservative values of family over politics. The DNC’s attempt to vilify this feels like a miscalculation. The DNC’s broader narrative accuses Vance and President Trump of slashing healthcare for 17 million and food aid for 22 million to favor “billionaire donors.” These sweeping claims lack evidence in the provided facts and seem like recycled talking points. Hyperbole doesn’t make a fishing trip a policy failure.
Vance’s UK visit came a week before Trump’s planned meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, a reminder of the high-stakes diplomacy at play. The fishing incident, by contrast, is a minor footnote that Democrats have inflated for political points. It’s a classic case of missing the forest for the trees.
Vance’s backstory as a Marine veteran and Yale Law graduate, raised by an opioid-addicted mother, makes the DNC’s “elite” caricature ring hollow. His ability to connect with working-class struggles, as chronicled in “Hillbilly Elegy,” undercuts the narrative of a detached politician. The DNC’s attacks seem more about optics than substance.
Ultimately, the fishing flap is a distraction from real issues like inflation and global conflicts. Vance’s focus on family and duty, even amidst diplomatic trips, reflects a grounded conservative ethos. The DNC’s obsession with trivialities only highlights their struggle to land a meaningful punch.