The Trump administration addressed an incident where Vice President JD Vance and his three-year-old daughter were surrounded and shouted at by pro-Ukraine protesters in Vermont.

A video from WCPO 9 News showed demonstrators chanting that “people are dying” and accusing the Trump administration of betraying Ukraine, though it didn’t reveal how the confrontation began.

Vance later shared on X that as he walked with his daughter, protesters chanting “Slava Ukraini” followed them, making her anxious. Hoping to de-escalate, he spoke with them, noting that most agreed to a brief conversation but criticizing those who harassed a child.

As demonstrators waved Ukrainian flags and voiced concerns, Vance engaged calmly, advocating for a diplomatic settlement to the war. Some interrupted, accusing him of lacking integrity. He reminded them he was with his daughter and had agreed to speak briefly but didn’t expect them to follow and yell at her.

Vance’s communications team pushed back against journalist Jimmy Rushton’s claims that Vance exaggerated the incident, citing video evidence showing the protesters had indeed followed him.

This confrontation came weeks after Vance and Trump clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who reportedly refused to sign a U.S. rare earth mineral rights deal and demanded stronger security guarantees.