JD Vance’s family ski trip in Vermont hit rocky terrain Saturday after the gratitude-demanding vice president was welcomed by hundreds of protesters following his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The vice president — along with his wife Usha Vance and their three children — headed to Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont as part of a planned vacation and their visit was met with a sea of signs calling the former Ohio senator a “traitor,” telling him to “fuck off” and “go ski in Russia.”
The demonstrators signaled their support of Ukraine following the blowout in the Oval Office where Vance and President Donald Trump publicly berated Zelenskyy for being “disrespectful” and not showing thanks to the U.S. (despite his public record of thanking the country).
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R), in a statement on Thursday, reminded residents that “while we may not always agree, we should be respectful” as Vance and his family vacation in the state.
Sugerbush snow reporter Lucy Welch also had harsh words for Vance ahead of his ski outing, per Jason Kottke’s blog Kottke.org, as she slammed the Trump administration in a daily report on Saturday.
“Right now, National Forest lands and National Parks are under direct attack by the current Administration, who is swiftly terminating the positions of dedicated employees who devote their lives to protecting the land we love, and to protecting us while we are enjoying that land,” Welch wrote.
The previously announced visit to The Green Mountain State sparked plans for protests, the VTDigger noted, as one organizer pointed to residents’ concerns with the Trump administration’s mass federal cuts and firings, adding that the clash in the White House drew more protesters to the streets.
“People are angry, especially after what occurred in the White House yesterday where we absolutely humiliated an ally,” said Tisa Rennau, an organizer with the Indivisible Mad River Valley group, in an interview with the VTDigger.
“We are no longer the leader of the free world. What has happened? This is not the America we expect to be.”
VTDigger’s Evan L’Roy snapped pictures of protesters lining a nearby road with trans, Palestinian and Ukrainian flags as well as signs reading “Trump Vance betraying all that America stands for,” “JD Vance Zelenskyy is 10x the man you are,” “Have you no shame? Support Ukraine” and “Where’s your decency?”
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Others at and near the resort held signs reading “Spineless fascists can’t ski,” “Warning thin ice” and “This is the coup’s last run.”
“Every day, the Trump-Vance administration is putting Vermonters at risk and hurting Vermonters. He’s also hurting everyone in this country, and he’s hurting our allies like Ukraine. He’s hurting people around the world,” Dan Vidali, a Vermont resident, told the VTDigger.
“We’re here to say that we reject that in Vermont.”