Vice President JD Vance faced backlash after a confrontation with pro-Ukrainian protesters while walking with his three-year-old daughter in Cincinnati. The protesters, shouting “Slava Ukraini,” followed the family and screamed at Vance about his stance on Ukraine. Vance calmly responded, disagreeing with their views, but emphasized that targeting a toddler in a political protest was inappropriate. He later called the protesters “s*** people” for involving his child in their demonstration.
The incident raised questions about whether it’s acceptable to confront public figures in front of their families. Some critics argued that Vance used his daughter as a shield, while others supported his defense of his child. This wasn’t the first time Vance faced protests, as he was also moved to a hotel for safety during a family trip to Vermont due to demonstrators.
JD Vance has issues a furious response to pro-Ukrainian protestors who screamed at him while he was out walking his three-year-old daughter on Saturday.
The Vice President took to X following the ugly harassment in Cincinnati,
He shared that the protestors were part of a ‘Slava Ukraini’ group, which translates to ‘Glory to Ukraine.’
Footage of the incident shows demonstrators accosting Vance as he walks through the residential neighborhood while pushing his daughter Mirabel in her stroller and flanked by Secret Service agents.
He can be seen politely remonstrating with the furious liberals and he later explained on X that when he asked if they would ‘leave my toddler alone’ nearly all of them agreed – perhaps realizing their behavior in front of the helpless child was abhorrent.
Vance said that the gang of protestors followed him and his daughter while shouting, which stressed his scared daughter.
He then went on to say that the dialogue was ‘mostly respectful,’ but blasted others for ‘chasing a three-year-old as part of a political protest.’
The interaction occurred in the Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, which is near Vance’s home.
JD Vance engaged with protestors while taking a walk with his three-year-old daughter in Cincinnati
The protestors hurled insults at Vance and pressed him on the US’s lack of support for Ukraine
Local ABC affiliate, WCPO News, obtained a video of the interaction, which captured the tense dialogue.
‘People are DYING!’ one woman screamed at Vance. Another protestor accused Vance of ‘selling them [Ukrainians] out.’
The accusation received a resounding cry of support from the group, many of which continued to echo that Vance was selling out the Ukrainians to Russia.
‘Respectfully, I disagree,’ Vance hit back. ‘I think that what we’re doing is we’re actually forcing a diplomatic settlement.’
The claim prompted a flurry of follow-up questions from the protestors, who pressed on if Russia would be diplomatic in negotiations to end the war.
‘We’re forcing both the Russians and the Ukrainians,’ Vance clarified. He then found a point of agreeance with the protestors, affirming their statements that Russia was guilty of invading Ukraine.
In response to a particularly passionate protestor, Vance said, ‘Ma’am I am speaking with you, and I am trying to be respectful. I have condemned the invasion.’
‘You’ve also condemned Trump,’ another protestor fired back, referencing Vance’s prior negative statements on the president.
The poster advertising the protest encouraged locals to ‘raise your voice’ and gather near Vance’s home
Protestors lined the streets near Vance’s home in Cincinnati with pro-Ukrainian messages
Protestors waved the Ukrainian flag and held signs outside of Vance’s house
Before Vance joined Donald Trump’s administration, he was an outspoken critic, even referring to him as ‘America’s Hitler’ and a ‘total fraud.’
He also ironically named himself a ‘Never-Trump guy,’ before supporting his 2024 presidential campaign.
Vance has since expressed regret for his comments and walked them back when he joined Trump’s campaign.
‘That’s a different question,’ Vance responded when asked why he linked Trump to Adolf Hitler.
He added that he’s discussed why he changed his views multiple times on the campaign trail and diverted the conversation back to Ukraine.
The protestors then blasted Vance for lacking integrity before the vice president walked away.
The recent interaction in Cincinnati comes just a week after protestors lined the streets in Vermont.
Vance was traveling with his family to a ski resort in the state and was met with thousands of demonstrators holding up signs condemning the US’s lack of support for Ukraine, among other issues like LGBTQ+ rights and climate change.
Zelensky met with Trump and Vance in the Oval Office on February 28 and tensions quickly escalated
Protestors advocating for Ukrainian support, against Elon Musk’s involvement with the government, and for LGBTQ+ rights flocked to Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont
Demonstrators took up a half-mile of the street near the Vermont resort to greet Vance with messages of protest
The vice president sent a message for those protestors on X as well, calling them ‘idiots’ in a recent post.
‘We barely noticed the protesters and almost everyone we met was kind and generous. And Vermont is beautiful,’ he added.
Vance said he and his family moved hotels and refused to disclose their location per Secret Service orders.
The influx in protests comes after a tense meeting Vance and Trump had with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Vance slammed Zelenskyy for not thanking Trump for US aid to Ukraine, while Trump told him that he ‘didn’t have the cards’ to negotiate a deal for peace.
The meeting, which included members of the press, marked a turning point in the US’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war.
