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IF RAND PAUL WAS IN THE LORD OF THE RINGS Cartoon published 09/08/2025 Tina Toon Rand Paul, the Hobbit-like Senator from Kentucky, was very displeased with JD Vance and the White House. On the Middle Earth battlefield of Republican rhetoric, a recent US military strike sparked a fiery exchange between two prominent GOP figures: Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and Vice President JD Vance. It’s a tale of drones, drug cartels, and due process that has everyone from cable news pundits to X users weighing in. The drama unfolded when President Trump authorized a “kinetic strike” on a boat departing Venezuela, reportedly carrying 11 members of Tren de Aragua—a Venezuelan gang designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization. The vessel, allegedly loaded with narcotics bound for the US, was obliterated in international waters, resulting in the deaths of all aboard. Trump celebrated the operation as a decisive blow against “narco-terrorists” fueling America’s fentanyl crisis, emphasizing that the group operates under Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro’s influence and is responsible for widespread violence and trafficking. On X, Vice President Vance dubbed the strike as the “highest and best use of the US military,” adding defiantly, “I don’t give a s*** if you call it a war crime.” Proponents argue this aggressive approach sends a strong deterrent message to cartels infiltrating US borders, aligning with the administration’s tough stance on immigration and drug enforcement. As one conservative outlet put it, it’s about “getting to the root of the problem” and protecting American lives from the scourge of illicit drugs. If the drug cartels are terrorists, then do they really deserve due process? Could it even be applied to foreign gangs? Rand Paul, the libertarian-leaning senator, has never shied away from questioning military overreach and he blasted Vance’s comments as “despicable and thoughtless,” arguing that glorifying extrajudicial killings erodes core American principles. Invoking a classic, he quipped on X, “Have you seen To Kill a Mockingbird?”— a nod to the film’s themes of justice and fairness over mob rule. Still, in that case due process is meant for Americans, not everyone around the world. The White House maintains the operation was lawful under the laws of armed conflict, given Tren de Aragua’s terrorist designation, which allows for targeted actions against threats to US security. Yet, legal experts and diplomats have voiced concerns about the diplomatic fallout and the precedent set for use of lethal force in non-combat zones. If Rand Paul had his way, would he be calling for due process for Saruman? —The GrrrTeam