JD Vance and family moved to ‘undisclosed location’ after Zelensky clash

The US Vice President and his family were moved to a hide-out after being swamped by pro-Ukraine protesters.

America’s Vice President JD Vance was forced to move his family to an “undisclosed location” after hundreds of pro-Ukraine protesters swarmed the Vermont ski resort where they were vacationing — just days after his public dust-up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.

Vance and his family were greeted by hundreds of outraged protesters lining the snow-covered streets while visiting Sugarbush Resort in Waitsfield but were forced to cut their four-day trip short on Saturday after seeing the intensity of the protests.

Protesters displayed signs that labelled Vance a “national disgrace,” accused him of being a “traitor” and encouraged the family to “go ski in Russia.”

“Have you no shame? Support Ukraine,” one sign read.

Protesters in Waitsfield, Vermont, encouraged the Vance family to “go ski in Russia.” Picture: Jeff Knight/The Valley Reporter via AP

Counter-protesters also had their voices heard. Pick-up trucks with “Make America Great Again,” flags were spotted driving down Main Street in Waitsfield. Another group of counter protesters got into a shouting match with anti-Vance folks outside the Sugarbush Resort.

Vance and his family scrapped their plans of staying at a nearby four-star inn, instead, fleeing to an “undisclosed location” following the intense protests outside the resort.

The protests got so heated that a handful of demonstrators even camped out by a ski-lift near where they thought the Vances were skiing.

Vance and his family scrapped their plans of staying at a nearby four-star following the protests. Picture: Jeff Knight/The Valley Reporter via AP

These protests were planned earlier in the week, but took on new intensity following the Oval Office dispute in which the Ukrainian leader got into an intense public argument with both Vance and President Trump while visiting to finalise a mineral rights deal. The deal was scrapped and Zelensky reportedly was ushered out of the White House.

Last week, Vermont Republican Governor Phil Scott urged protesters to take into consideration that Vance would be travelling 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,” Scott said in a statement Thursday.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during the clash with US Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. Picture: AFP

“Please join me in welcoming them to Vermont, and hoping they have an opportunity to experience what makes our state, and Vermonters, so special.”

Vermonters were initially set to protest the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal government.

“Some of us are scared about losing Social Security or Medicaid or parks or having measles epidemics or climate change,” protest organiser Ginny Sassaman of the Indivisible Calais group, told outlet VT Digger.

The rainbow coalition of activists even included members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“As a trans person and as a person of colour, I’m extremely concerned about the new policies about trans people. I’m concerned about the ICE raids. I have friends who are trans. I have friends who are immigrants who’ve been reaching out to me and saying ‘we’re scared,’” organiser Katayoun Lam told VT Digger.

In Friday’s Oval Office meeting with Mr Zelensky, Vance read him the riot act in front of international media — going so far as to call out the wartime chief for not saying “thank you,” for the aid given his country by the United States.

“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 Mr Zelensky.

“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.”

This story originally appeared in The New York Post.

Originally published as JD Vance and family moved to ‘undisclosed location’ after Zelensky clash