U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for newly confirmed CIA Director John Ratcliffe at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House on Jan. 23, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Kent Nishimura | Getty Images
Crowds gathered in a Vermont town on Saturday to protest Vice President JD Vance’s visit to a local ski resort, the day after his explosive Oval Office clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Protesters lined a main thoroughfare in Waitsfield, Vermont, located near the Sugarbush Resort where Vance and his family were vacationing. They held signs that said, “Vance is a traitor go ski in Russia,” “Trump serves Putin” and “Vance disgraces our country,” among other fiery messages.
A small group of protesters also gathered at the Sugarbush Resort, though a spokesperson for the resort said it was largely a “smooth day overall” at the slopes.
“There were a handful of protestors at the resort throughout the day, but all were peaceful and none were disruptive,” said John Bleh, a public relations and communications manager for the resort.
The demonstration was planned ahead of the Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Office meeting to “protest the destructive and illegal actions of the Trump/Vance administration,” according to an announcement posted by the Mad River Valley chapter of the activist group Indivisible. But many signs expressed support for Ukraine and rebuked Trump and Vance’s treatment of Zelenskyy.
The clash erupted Friday at the White House when Zelenskyy visited Washington, D.C., to complete a deal to give the U.S. access to rare earth minerals in Ukraine as part of a broader effort to end the three-year-old war, which started when Russia invaded its neighbor.
The meeting at the White House devolved into a tense shouting match, with Trump and Vance accusing Zelenskyy of not being grateful enough for U.S. support for Ukraine. Trump told Zelenskyy he was “gambling with World War III” if he did not reach a peace deal.
Ahead of Vance’s visit, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott issued a statement on Thursday welcoming the vice president and his family to the state.
“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,” the Republican governor said in a statement. “Please join me in welcoming them to Vermont, and hoping they have an opportunity to experience what makes our state, and Vermonters, so special.”
Vance’s team didn’t immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the protests.
— CNBC’s Dan Mangan contributed to this report.
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