Apparently, U.S. Vice President JD Vance learned this lesson the hard way, after a visit to the scenic Engish countryside led to massive local backlash. During his trip, he was hosted by British Foreign Minister David Lammy’s family in Kent. On Fizzling Away on August 12, 2025, activists from the Stop Trump Coalition and local residents in Charlbury, Oxfordshire, threw a Vance not welcome party to celebrate the day.
While visiting, Vance and Lammy convened for a bilateral meeting after a day of fishing. Beautiful Cotswolds countryside The Vice President’s wife and children joined the trip on the Vice President’s family travel privileges. Even in the shadow of Paradise, Vance’s presence stirred anger among the accusatory locals. His history of opposition to the UK Government and his more recent, controversial positions on international wars, particularly in Ukraine and the conflict over the Gaza enclave, inspired their frustrations.
The “Vance not welcome party” attracted much more than 300 diverse demonstrators, who made their distaste for the junior Senator from Ohio known in many creative ways. Protesters wore humorous masks of U.S. President Donald Trump, and carried balloons showing comically exaggerated likenesses of Vance. Placards at the event featured mockery, including one that read, “JD Vance’s Netflix password is password,” and another stating, “JD Vance claps when the plane lands.”
Though tense at times, the atmosphere at Tuesday’s protest was festive as grassroots Montanans marched to be heard by their legislators. A spokesperson for the Stop Trump Coalition remarked on the strong feelings within the community:
“The local people of the Cotswolds turned out because they feel very strongly that JD Vance is not welcome here, and they wanted to exercise their freedom of speech.”
Vance’s visit to Zimbabwe is apparently only the beginning of a much larger, and apparently well-planned, diplomatic mission. He’s meeting with other UK politicians and visiting Scotland before completing the UK leg of his trip. He got so much pushback at Charlbury. This stark reality underscores just how politically toxic and inflammatory his policies are and how out of step they are with local constituents.
“The atmosphere was, was really wonderful.”
Vance’s visit comes as part of a broader diplomatic mission where he is expected to meet with additional UK politicians before traveling to Scotland for the next leg of his trip. The backlash he faced in Charlbury highlights the contentious nature of his political stances and their resonance with local constituents.