Shorouk Express
Vice President JD Vance claims he was confronted by pro-Ukraine protesters in Cincinnati on Saturday while out walking with his three-year-old daughter, who became “increasingly anxious and scared” by their shouts, he said.
“Today while walking my 3 year old daughter a group of ‘Slava Ukraini’ protesters followed us around and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared,” Vance wrote on X.
“I decided to speak with the protesters in the hopes that I could trade a few minutes of conversation for them leaving my toddler alone. (Nearly all of them agreed.),” he continued.
“It was a mostly respectful conversation, but if you’re chasing a 3-year-old as part of a political protest, you’re a s*** person,” he added.
But protesters say Vance’s account is a fabrication, and that they had spontaneously passed by the vice president on their way to a nearby protest.
A nearly three-minute video from the incident appears to show Vance surrounded by Secret Service while protesters ask him about Russia’s war in Ukraine and the withdrawal of U.S. support.
“We think it’s in the best interest of our [own people] and frankly in the best interest of the Ukrainians for the war to stop,” Vance says in a video shared with Ohio news outlet WCPO.
Vance also says Russia “certainly” invaded Ukraine in 2022, contracting President Donald Trump’s latest comments blaming Ukraine for the invasion.
Protesters tell him “people are dying” and the administration is “selling out” the people of Ukraine.
“With respect, ma’am, I disagree,” Vance says. “I think that what we’re doing is we’re actually forcing a diplomatic settlement.”
Vance has become the target of protesters in support of the U.S. defense of Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, now in its fourth year, after he seemingly provoked a disastrous Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The vice president was seen by many as instigating an attack on Zelensky — who questioned what the administration meant by “diplomacy” with Russia after Putin defied ceasefire agreements — that quickly escalated into a shouting match in front of the world’s media, leading to international condemnation.
As the United States withdraws support for its ally, Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine. There were demonstrations in support of Kyiv on Saturday in Europe and in Washington, D.C.
Not everyone was sympathetic to Vance’s post.
Tim Miller, of The Bulwark, wrote: “Dozens are dead in Ukraine because you stopped giving them the intelligence that protected the country from bombs so you can probably handle some yelling in a free country boss.
“When [congressman Ro Khanna] brought up children JD accused him of emotional manipulation,” Miller wrote. “Two weeks later he’s using his 3 year old as a shield for the disastrous policies he’s implanting. Keep it.”
Journalist John Harwood wrote: “If you endanger a group of immigrants by telling outrageous lies about them, or withhold intelligence to make it easier for Russia to kill innocent Ukrainians, you’re a s*** person.”
This is not the first time Vance has been confronted by demonstrators since the Zelensky meeting. The vice president and his family were also greeted by angry protesters on vacation in Vermont, who told him to “go ski in Russia.”
Ahead of Vance’s visit and before the Oval Office drama, Republican Gov. Phil Scott issued a statement Thursday welcoming Vance and his family to the state. He asked Vermont residents to do the same, even if they have political differences with the vice president.
“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,” the statement said.
