Vice President J.D. Vance’s ski getaway in Vermont took an unexpected turn after he narrowly avoided a collision on the slopes and faced a political jab.
Vance visited Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont, on Saturday, February 1, seeking a break from Washington, D.C. Eyewitnesses spotted him skiing, and video footage obtained by TMZ captured him gliding down the mountain with a smooth technique—until a near miss occurred.
A skier, who had been knocked down by another, almost crashed into Vance but managed to stop just in time—an incident likely more nerve-wracking for the Secret Service than the vice president himself.
While heading toward the ski lift, Vance encountered a critical remark from someone who asked how it felt to be “Putin’s puppet,” a reference to his stance on Ukraine. Vance did not engage beyond offering a polite greeting before continuing on his way.
The comment came amid heightened scrutiny following a tense meeting between Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday, February 28.
During the exchange, Vance suggested Zelensky should thank former President Donald Trump for pursuing a diplomatic resolution to the war in Ukraine and accused the Ukrainian leader of being “disrespectful” for raising concerns about the conflict in front of the American public.
The meeting sparked mixed reactions, with criticism directed at Vance, Trump, and Zelensky. In Vermont, where Democratic-leaning sentiment runs high, protesters greeted Vance with signs labeling him a traitor and making mocking comparisons.
Despite his vacation plans, the vice president’s trip appeared anything but relaxing amid the ongoing controversy.
