Vance Greeted By Hundreds Of Protesters During Vermont Ski Trip After Zelenskyy Clash

After Vice President J.D. Vance and President Donald Trump shamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a White House meeting on Friday, Vance and his family took a ski trip to Vermont—and were met by furious protesters.

Vance, joined by his wife, Usha Vance, and their three children, traveled to Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont, for a planned vacation. Their arrival was greeted by a wave of signs labeling him a “traitor” and urging him to “f**k off” and “go ski in Russia.”

VTDigger’s Evan L’Roy captured photos of protesters gathered along a nearby road, waving trans, Palestinian, and Ukrainian flags, along with signs that read “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?”

You can see the protest in the video below.

The protest took place following the remarkable breakdown of the Western alliance after Trump and Vance berated Zelenskyy for more than two hours, demanding he make a deal with Russia "or we are out."

The two leaders repeatedly interrupted each other in front of the media during what was meant to be a prelude to signing a deal granting American access to Ukrainian oil, gas, and rare minerals. After tensions first arose over Trump’s approach to Ukraine peace talks with Russia, the agreement was intended to be a stepping stone toward deeper security ties between the nations.

However, Zelensky was instructed by the Americans to leave before the deal could be signed. At one point, Trump accused Zelensky of not being grateful enough for U.S. military and political support, warning that he was "gambling with World War III."

Tensions escalated on Friday when Vance told Zelensky that the war needed to be resolved through diplomacy. Zelensky pushed back, asking, "what kind of diplomacy?" in reference to a 2019 ceasefire deal made three years before Russia’s full-scale invasion, at a time when Moscow was backing and arming separatist fighters in eastern Ukraine.

In response, Vance then accused Zelensky of being disrespectful and “litigating” the situation in front of the media—a statement that has angered his critics, who came out in full force.

Sugerbush snow reporter Lucy Welch criticized Vance in a report over the weekend, noting that the sweeping federal cuts imposed by billionaire Elon Musk's DOGE initiative—and Vance's support—threatens the livelihoods of Vermonters.

Welch noted that national parks and national forests are impacted because the Trump administration 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."

Pointing out the impacts climate change has had on Vermont, Welch noted the irony of Vance coming in for a ski trip considering The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), "a resource I use every day for snow reporting, is crucial in monitoring extreme weather events and informing public safety measures, and is also experiencing widespread layoffs and defunding at the hands of the Administration."