He thought his family was safe. Just after midnight, a hammer shattered the quiet outside JD Vance’s Cincinnati home, jolting Secret Service agents into action.

Agents rushed toward the noise and found a man allegedly smashing windows, vandalizing a government vehicle, and trying to force his way inside the residence.

The upscale Walnut Hills neighborhood was calm, and the vice president was away in Washington. Still, the incident pierced any sense of separation between politics and private life.

Authorities say the suspect was quickly tackled and detained by Secret Service agents before entering the home, then turned over to Cincinnati police.

Vice President Vance and his family were not home, having left for Washington the previous afternoon. No injuries were reported, but the damage was significant.

The house has long been a flashpoint for protests over Vance’s political positions, including U.S. support for Ukraine and other national issues.

In a prior incident, demonstrators allegedly confronted him while he walked with his young daughter, drawing sharp criticism from Vance.

Now, with a hammer-wielding intruder targeting his home, the boundary between political protest and personal danger appears thinner than ever.