By Paul Bean
Vice President JD Vance took to X today to respond to protests that greeted his family on their ski vacation in Vermont last weekend.
“These people are such idiots,” wrote VP Vance in reference to a story published by the New York Post claiming that he had moved to an ‘undisclosed location.’
“We had a great time during our weekend in Vermont. We barely noticed the protesters and almost everyone we met was kind and generous. And Vermont is beautiful. This headline about being moved to an ‘undisclosed location’ is that we moved our hotel.”
The controversy erupted over the weekend of March 1-2, when more than a hundreds of protesters lined the streets of Waitsfield and Warren to oppose Vance’s presence.
The demonstrations highlighted grievances ranging from the Trump administration’s federal funding cuts to Vance’s recent clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Signs reading “Go ski in Russia” and “Traitor” the snowy landscape, reflecting the anger of many Vermonters.
Brigette White, a frequent skier and Sugarbush community member who describes herself as “apolitical,” told VDC that she was able to get through to one of one of JD Vance’s team members this weekend.
She also told VDC that she was “disturbed” with the foul language on many of the signs held by protesters in the resort courtyard, which is a place for families spend time together at the mountain. Given the opportunity to speak with the Secret Service in the courtyard, what she saw prompted her to ask if she could buy the Vice President a beer as a gesture to let him know that he is welcome here. She was connected with one of JD’s team members who she said “did not definitively say no,” and gave her his phone number.
She later texted him saying “Thank you for being kind and approachable. Can you please pass a message to Vice President Vance? I was hoping Vermonters could put politics aside and welcome this beautiful family into Sugarbush Valley- obviously that was not the case. I am sad that his family had to witness the bad behavior of the protesters. And while those who appreciate his service to his country are less vocal, I want him to know that we exist. We’re grateful for his visit to VT, and I truly hope he had some fun family time. Respectfully, Brigette White.”
JD’s team member replied “Thank you, I will pass it along.”
Vermont Daily Chronicle has experienced unprecedented social media exposure since JD Vance’s visit to Vermont. One video, taken by Champlain Farms manager, Ben Charette, shows the VP’s Motorcade driving through Waitsfield. That video now has 583K views on Facebook and is projected to reach a million.
Ben Charette is responsible for many of the photos and videos you saw on the Chronicle’s Facebook Page that were taken in Waitsfield last weekend. Charette is also pictured below in a photo that has gone viral on social media. The photo shows him nudging a protester away from blocking a truck with Trump /Vance flags from driving through downtown Waitsfield.
