As the US media noted, James David Vance planned to visit the Sugarbush Resort ski resort in the state of Vermont with his family after a meeting with Ukrainian and US Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump at the White House. This sparked protests among local residents.
The actions took place in the town of Warren and the community of Waitsfield on Main Street, as well as on the ski slopes of the resort itself. Protesters suggested that Vance should go on vacation in Russia “because of his love for Russia,” criticized him and Trump for “trying to humiliate” Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people, and demanded continued support for Ukraine. The posters also read “Trump serves Putin” and “Vance is a traitor.”
In the end, the car with Vance and his family had to turn around and went into another hotel, local publication Vtdigger reported, specifying that protest organizers estimated that about 3,000 people came out to the Waitsfield protests. He did visit the ski resort, but skied with his family “away from the crowd,” according to Fox News Channel, a Trump team loyalist. His source said protesters also gathered near the slopes where Vance and his family were skiing, and even camped near the ski elevator.
Fox News and the New York Post reported on counter-protest actions as well. Pickup trucks carrying “Make America Great Again!” flags were spotted on a main street in Waitsfield. Another group of counter-protesters clashed with Vance opponents near Sugarbush Resort, the NYP reported. In turn, Fox News showed a local skier stating on camera, “The people protesting Vance are fucking idiots.” How long the U.S. vice president’s family vacation will last is not specified.
