Demonstrators protest VP Vance in Vermont after Zelenksyy dispute
Vice President JD Vance encountered protesters in Vermont after a tense exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Vermont Saturday to protest Vice President JD Vance’s visit to a local ski resort, less than 24 hours after his explosive exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Vance, who brought his family to Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont, was greeted by a half-mile gauntlet of protesters holding pro-Ukraine signs Saturday. There appeared to be hundreds in the crowd.
The protesters carried signs calling Vance “Nazi scum,” accusing him of being a “traitor” and telling him to “go ski in Russia.”
Other signs said “Trump serves Putin,” “Theocracy is not freedom” and “Stand with Ukraine.”
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JD Vance’s visit to a Vermont ski resort was interrupted by protesters Saturday. (Getty Images; Obtained by Fox News)
But not all Green Mountain State skiers were upset with Vance’s visit, and one local skier complained about the demonstrations to Fox News Digital.
“Those people protesting Vance are f—ing morons,” the skier said.
A source also told Fox News that the Vances initially intended to stay at a four-star inn near the resort, but that they moved to an undisclosed location instead, though that decision preceded the protests.
Protesters also gathered near the slopes the Vance family skied on, the source said, but it is unclear how close they got to the Second Family.
“Those people protesting Vance are f—ing morons,” one local skier remarked.
The demonstrations came less than a day after Vance and Zelenskyy had a tense argument in the White House, which began when the Ukrainian leader balked at signing a mineral rights deal that President Trump said would pave the way for a peace deal.
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The protesters carried pro-Ukraine, anti-Putin signs. (Obtained by Fox News)
“Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,” Vance told Zelenskyy. “Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
Later, Vance implied that Zelenskyy, who was visiting Washington, D.C., to sign a rare earth minerals deal that has since been dropped, was ungrateful again and asked if he’d “said ‘thank you’ once this entire meeting.”
“You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country,” the former Ohio senator said.
Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, as President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Mystyslav Chernov)
The Ukrainian leader replied that Vance was speaking “loudly” before President Donald Trump jumped in to support Vance, telling Zelenskyy that his country was “in trouble.”
