WAITSFIELD, Vt. — Hundreds of protesters lined the streets near a Vermont ski resort on Saturday, expressing their discontent with Vice President JD Vance, who had arrived for a family vacation following a heated meeting at the White House regarding Ukraine.
The demonstrators carried a variety of signs, with some voicing support for Ukraine and others showing anti-war sentiments by waving Palestinian flags, or advocating for immigrant rights. The protests spanned multiple locations, prominently along Route 100 in Waitsfield.
While these demonstrations had been organized in advance, they gained fresh impetus from the recent tense exchange at the Oval Office. Vice President Vance had clashed with both President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, criticizing the latter for disputing Trump’s claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be trusted.
“Ski Russia because JD Vance has no friends in Vermont, but he’s got lots of friends in Russia, so he should go there for vacation,” remarked Tekla Van Hoven from Waterbury to a local TV station.
Accompanied by family, Vance had planned a weekend of skiing at the Sugarbush Resort in Warren.
Though protests were minimal at the resort itself, they were notable. “There were a handful of protesters at the resort throughout the day, but all were peaceful and none were disruptive,” stated John Bleh, the resort spokesperson, in an email on Sunday. Further comments were deferred to the White House.
Attempts to reach White House officials for comments on Sunday were unsuccessful.
Republican Governor Phil Scott released a statement on Thursday, welcoming Vance and his family to Vermont. He encouraged state residents to extend the same welcome, despite any political disagreements. “I hope Vermonters remember the vice president is here on a family trip with his young children and, while we may not always agree, we should be respectful,” his statement read.
A smaller group supporting Vance and President Donald Trump organized their own “welcome rally” during the same period.
