Protests have erupted nationwide against billionaire Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance following the heated confrontation between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Outside Tesla stores in New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston, protestors congregated to voice their displeasure at Musk’s Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) policies, which have led to thousands of federal staff being fired.
There were nine arrested at the protests, where signs were on display that read: “No Dictators in the USA” and “Burn a Tesla: Save Democracy.” Similarly, there were protests against Vice President Vance, who has been blasted as a traitor.
Vacationing with his family in Vermont, hundreds of protestors gathered to proclaim that “Vermont stands with Ukraine” and to tell Vance to go “ski in Russia.”
Videos captured protesters expressing their anger towards the Republican politician by gathering along the snow-covered streets of Waitsfield, chanting loudly. Other signs created by the enraged demonstrators included messages that read: “Join the right side of history,” “Vance = Putin’s Pawn = Traitor,” and “Moms for a caring country.”
The furious protest followed Vance’s public reprimand of Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Friday, where he criticized him for “disrespecting the U.S.’s generosity.” Vance also claimed that the wartime leader had used “propaganda tours” to gain support for Ukraine after Russia’s invasion.
Despite the tense moments, the meeting between Zelenskyy, Trump, and other top U.S. officials began on a respectful note. The two presidents exchanged polite words, with Trump even mentioning the potential for military aid to Ukraine before a peace agreement with Russia.
However, when Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about the reliability of Putin’s ceasefire proposals, Vance contended that such concerns should have remained private. This surprising reaction changed the tone of the discussion, causing the meeting to spiral into chaos.
“What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about?” Zelenskyy said, citing examples of Russia’s broken ceasefire promises. “What do you mean?” he asked.
“I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” Vance responded. He continued: “Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.”
Source : https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/elon-musk-jd-vance-protests-34785996
