Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is turning up the heat on his law-and-order message, pledging to use a legal tool once reserved for the mafia against what he called “far-left extremist networks.” Speaking at a campaign stop, the Ohio senator told supporters that violent demonstrators would face prosecution under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO. “
If you’re assaulting police officers, if you’re destroying communities under the guise of protest, you’re going to be treated like terrorists,” Vance said, according to the Associated Press.
Why Vance Thinks RICO Is the Answer
The RICO Act, passed in 1970 and best known for breaking up mob families and drug cartels, has occasionally been applied to gangs and corruption cases. But extending it into the realm of political protest is largely untested. Vance argued it’s overdue. “We have tools to deal with organized crime,” he said. “We’re going to apply them to the far left.”
According to Reuters, Vance’s remarks fit into a broader Republican campaign theme that protests in recent years—from racial justice marches to climate demonstrations—have crossed boundaries into organized, destructive activity. Supporters argue that Americans deserve protection from property damage and lawlessness and that dismantling activist networks using RICO is legal and necessary. Civil rights advocates quickly pushed back.
The American Civil Liberties Union warned in a statement that the rhetoric was “reckless and authoritarian,” arguing that conflating protest with organized crime could silence ordinary Americans. Legal experts also told CNN that while the government has tried to stretch RICO into new areas, courts have often resisted efforts beyond classic organized criminal enterprises.
One constitutional scholar noted that “there are already criminal statutes in place to prosecute acts like vandalism or assault, turning to RICO suggests the true goal is chilling dissent.” Democrats echoed that concern, accusing Vance of stoking fear rather than offering solutions. As one Democratic strategist told NBC News, targeting protesters with terrorism-style prosecutions risks inflaming divisions just weeks before the election. Still, many Republican voters, recalling the unrest of 2020, have welcomed the tough stance.
With the campaign entering its final stretch, Vance’s vow signals a sharpening divide over how America manages protest and political expression. Whether voters see his plan as decisive leadership or authoritarian overreach may shape not only his prospects but the tenor of the race itself.