Politics usually stays in D.C., or at least it tries to. But in early March 2025, it followed Vice President JD Vance straight up to the Green Mountains of Vermont. If you’ve seen the JD Vance skiing video floating around, you know it isn’t exactly a professional highlight reel. It’s a mix of awkward turns, heavy security detail, and a whole lot of shouting from the sidelines.
Honestly, the footage is kinda surreal.
Vance and his family headed to Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont, looking for a quick getaway. Instead, they walked into a buzzsaw of local frustration. The trip happened less than 24 hours after a massive blowout in the Oval Office between the Trump administration and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Tensions were already high, and for the people of the Mad River Valley, the Vice President showing up for a "relaxing weekend" was basically a lightning rod for a protest.
The Video Everyone Is Talking About
The most viral clips weren't captured by a film crew. They were shot on iPhones by fellow skiers and locals standing in the snow.
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In one specific JD Vance skiing video obtained by TMZ, you can see the Vice President making his way down a run. He’s moving pretty slow. His form? Let’s just say the internet had a field day with it. Commenters on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) were quick to call his style "ponderous" and "meandering." At one point in the footage, another skier almost wipes out right into him, nearly taking out the VP before the Secret Service could even blink.
But the audio is what really sticks.
As Vance glides toward a lift, someone off-camera yells, "How does it feel to be Putin's puppet?" Vance doesn't engage. He just gives a quick "hello" and keeps moving. It’s a weirdly quiet moment in a weekend that was otherwise incredibly loud.
Why Vermont?
You might wonder why a Republican Vice President would choose Vermont for a ski trip. It’s one of the bluest states in the country. Governor Phil Scott, a Republican himself but a frequent critic of the administration, actually issued a statement before the visit. He basically asked people to be respectful and give the family some space.
It didn't work.
By Saturday, March 1, 2025, more than a thousand people had lined Route 100 in Waitsfield. They weren't there for the powder. They were carrying signs that said things like "Go Ski in Russia" and "Traitor."
The Scene at Sugarbush
- The Crowd: Estimates put the number of protesters at over 1,000 along the main roads.
- The Vibe: Intense. While the resort staff said the protests on the actual mountain were "peaceful and not disruptive," the drive in was a gauntlet of booing and honking.
- The Result: The family reportedly moved from their planned resort stay to a private residence and ended up cutting the four-day trip short.
Breaking Down the "Skiing Form" Controversy
It sounds silly, but people obsessed over how he skied. In the world of viral politics, everything is a metaphor. Critics used the JD Vance skiing video to poke fun at his "lack of balance," linking it to his shifting political stances over the years. Supporters, on the other hand, pointed out that he’s a beginner/intermediate skier just trying to have a day with his kids.
"Little Dumbo was fighting for his life there on the slope," one Reddit user joked, referring to his stiff posture.
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Others were more focused on the Secret Service. It’s not every day you see guys in tactical gear trying to look inconspicuous on a chairlift. There’s even a clip where a child accidentally barrels into what looks like a security agent near the base of the mountain.
The Zelenskyy Factor
Context is everything here. If this trip had happened in January, it might have been a blip. But it happened right after Vance and Trump had a heated exchange with Zelenskyy. Vance had publicly criticized the Ukrainian leader for being "disrespectful" during his visit to Washington.
Because of that, the Vermont crowd was heavily focused on foreign policy. Pro-Ukraine flags were everywhere. The JD Vance skiing video became a symbol of the disconnect between the administration's "America First" policy and the very vocal "Stand with Ukraine" sentiment in New England.
What This Means for Future "Working Vacations"
This wasn't just a bad weekend for the Vance family; it was a PR nightmare. It showed that even in remote mountain towns, high-ranking officials can't really "clock off" anymore.
If you're looking for the video yourself, most of the raw footage is still on social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube. It hasn't been scrubbed, though the comments sections are a total war zone.
Actionable Takeaways from the Incident
If you're following the fallout of this viral moment, here’s what to keep in mind:
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- Check the Source: A lot of "parody" videos popped up using AI to make Vance look like a better (or worse) skier. Stick to the verified TMZ or local news clips (like VTDigger) for the actual footage.
- Understand the Location: Sugarbush and the Mad River Valley have a long history of grassroots activism. This wasn't a "random" protest; it was organized by local groups like Indivisible Mad River Valley.
- Watch the Security: Notice the logistics in the background of these videos. The cost of protecting a VP on a public ski hill is massive, which often fuels the debate over whether these trips are worth the taxpayer's dime.
The JD Vance skiing video will probably be remembered more for the "Putin's puppet" shout than for any actual skiing. It’s a perfect example of how a private family moment can turn into a national political flashpoint in seconds. If you're planning to head to Vermont this season, don't worry—the crowds have thinned out, and the only thing people are shouting about now is the ice on the trails.
To see the full context of the protests that greeted the Vice President, you can look up the local reporting from the Vermont-based outlet VTDigger, which provided some of the most detailed on-the-ground photography of the event.