Vice President JD Vance’s planned family ski vacation at Vermont’s Sugarbush Resort took an unexpected turn this weekend as hundreds of pro-Ukraine demonstrators descended on the area, forcing the Vance family to cut their trip short and relocate to an undisclosed location amid security concerns.
The protests erupted on Saturday, March 1, just one day after a heated Oval Office confrontation between Vance, President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The White House meeting, intended to address U.S. support for Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia, devolved into a public spat when Vance and Trump criticized Zelensky for their lack of gratitude for American aid. Zelensky, in turn, questioned the administration’s stance on trusting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s diplomatic promises, escalating tensions further.
Vance, accompanied by his wife Usha and their three young children, arrived at the upscale Sugarbush Resort in Waitsfield, Vermont, on Friday evening, hoping for a quiet four-day getaway.
However, the picturesque ski town was anything but tranquil by Saturday morning. Protesters lined Route 100 and the resort’s entrance, wielding signs that branded Vance a “national disgrace,” “traitor,” and “Putin’s puppet.” Some demonstrators waved Ukrainian flags, while others held banners urging the vice president to “go ski in Russia.”
The demonstration, which had been organized earlier in the week by local activist groups, gained significant momentum following Friday’s White House clash. “After what he did yesterday, he crossed the line,” said Cori Giroux, a protester interviewed by Vermont Public Radio. Another demonstrator told the outlet, “All of America should be out here protesting after that meeting with Zelensky.”
The intensity of the protests prompted swift action from the U.S. Secret Service, who deemed the situation a security risk. By midday Saturday, Vance and his family were whisked away from the resort, abandoning their vacation plans. Sources confirm the family was moved to an undisclosed location, though details of their new whereabouts remain tightly guarded.
Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, had stated Vance’s arrival, urging residents to remain respectful despite political differences. “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,” Scott said on Thursday. His plea, however, appeared to fall on deaf ears as the crowd grew throughout the day.
The Vermont protests underscore the deepening divide in U.S. public opinion over the administration’s evolving stance on Ukraine. Vance, known for his skepticism toward continued military aid to the embattled nation, has become a lightning rod for criticism from pro-Ukraine advocates.
The Secret Service’s decision to relocate the family also highlights the heightened tensions surrounding the issue, with some pointing to past instances of Ukrainian ultranationalists creating “kill lists” targeting prominent American figures, including Trump and Vance.
As of Monday, March 3, Vance has not publicly commented on the protests or the family’s abrupt departure from Vermont. Meanwhile, the fallout from Friday’s Oval Office meeting continues reverberating, with Zelensky traveling to the UK for a security summit and Trump signaling a potential pullback from future negotiations with the Ukrainian leader.
For the residents of Waitsfield, the weekend’s events transformed a quiet ski town into a flashpoint of national controversy, leaving many to wonder how the administration’s foreign policy shifts will play out at home and abroad.
Source
- The New York Post: Vance family moved to ‘undisclosed location’ after hundreds of pro-Ukraine protesters swarm ski resort ahead of vacation
