JD Vance's Trip to Disneyland Was Interrupted by Protests and Hecklers

Vice President JD Vance has been in office for roughly six months, and in that time, he has made it clear that he is a fervent supporter of the president he was elected with. As you might be aware, that president is among the more divisive figures in the history of American politics, and so it's probably not all that surprising that Vance can't live his life exactly the way he used to.

He learned that lesson the hard way during a recent trip to Disneyland in California, where he and his family were met with hecklers and protesters, and in one case, confronted face to face. Here's what we know about the Vances' less-than-fun California vacation.

You might think of Disneyland as the happiest place on earth, but for the Vance family at least, it wasn't without its bumpy moments. According to The Los Angeles Times, hundreds of people protested Vance's presence outside the park as ICE raids continue across the state of California. Even after they got inside the park, though, Vance found himself confronted about his policies while walking with his child.

Jane Fleming Kleeb, a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, walked up to the vice president and confronted him directly. Vance's visit to the park also disrupted its normal operations, leading to some rides being closed and longer wait times across the park because of heightened security. Vance and his family emerged from the day unharmed, but had to deal with confrontations from people who strongly disapproved of Vance's actions.

"VP Vance is at Disneyland. I'm also here with my family. When I had a brief moment, I made it clear — we support immigrants, we support America. I asked the obvious question, 'I thought you hate California?' Since we've all seen and heard the hatred coming from Vance and Trump for California and Disney..." Jane wrote on X, sharing a video of herself confronting Vance.

The protesters at the park were not the only ones outraged over Vance's visit, which coincides with an increasing number of ICE raids across the state that have disrupted the lives of citizens and noncitizens alike.

"Hope you enjoy your family time, @JDVance. The families you’re tearing apart certainly won’t," California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X.

Other posts made fun of the vice president for a viral clip where he does some running across the park, in part because of how awkward and uncomfortable the running looked.

Mostly, though, people seemed to be pointing out that Vance had come to California even as he continued to vilify the state on social media.

Vance was there with his kids, it's true, and this might have been an uncomfortable experience for them. What's also true, though, is that their dad has decided to make every moment of his life political, and now maybe his kids are a little more aware of what he's up to every day at work.