An Ohio man, William D. DeFoor, pleaded guilty in federal court to vandalising Vice President JD Vance's Cincinnati home, an attack that caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage and raised concerns about security at the residence of senior US officials. DeFoor admitted to acts of violence against government officials or property and to wilfully damaging US government property, though his defence attorney has said the incident was not politically motivated and stemmed from mental health issues.

DeFoor, 26, used a hammer to smash the driver's-side window of an unmarked federal law enforcement vehicle and then break large, historic front windows of the unoccupied home on 5 January, damaging a security system valued at more than $28,000. Secret Service agents detained him near midnight after he ignored commands to drop the weapon and tried to flee on foot; Vance and his family were in Washington, D.C. at the time. Court records show DeFoor has a lengthy history of mental health issues and prior incompetency findings, including a 2023 trespassing case and a 2024 vandalism charge, and his mother has since been granted legal guardianship over him.