Vice President JD Vance and his family faced intense criticism and protests during a weekend visit to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, with several prominent liberal commentators defending the heckling of his young children at the theme park.
The controversy erupted after Vance, accompanied by his wife Usha and their three children aged three, five, and eight, visited Disneyland on Saturday, July 12. Video footage showed the Vice President with an estimated 50 security personnel and Disney staff members getting off Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The visit triggered significant security measures at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, where guests experienced extensive bag searches, metal detectors, and restricted access similar to theme park security screenings. The hotel’s front entrance was limited to one lane, with vehicles directed through security tents for inspection by canine units before proceeding.
Dozens of protesters gathered at the intersection of Disneyland Drive and Katella Avenue on Friday evening, leading to the closure of Disneyland Drive. The demonstrations focused on opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration policies, particularly following Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Ventura County on July 10 that resulted in approximately 200 detentions and one fatality.
Inside the theme park, Vance encountered direct confrontation from Jane Fleming Kleeb, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, who was visiting with her own family. Kleeb approached Vance while he walked with one of his children, repeatedly stating her support for immigrants and America while questioning why he would visit California given his previous criticism of the state.
The incident sparked fierce debate on social media platform Bluesky, where several left-wing commentators defended the public criticism of Vance’s children. Clara Jeffery, editor-in-chief of Mother Jones magazine, posted that it was beneficial for Vance’s children to understand “what their father is about.”
Other commentators made more direct attacks on the children’s exposure to public criticism. Former HuffPost reporter Michael Hobbes suggested on the platform that discovering parental shortcomings early was preferable, while University of Washington professor Sarah Tuttle expressed satisfaction about news of Vance being booed at the theme park.
The comments drew widespread condemnation from conservative figures and others who criticized targeting young children for their father’s political positions. Donald Trump Jr. characterized the Mother Jones editor as exhibiting soulless behavior, while GOP strategist Andrew Surabian questioned the mentality required to make such statements about children.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also criticized Vance’s visit, reposting video footage of the Vice President at Disneyland with commentary about families being separated through immigration enforcement. Newsom’s press office added that 35 percent of Anaheim residents are immigrants and that Disneyland depends on their labor.
The timing of Vance’s visit proved particularly contentious, occurring just one day after the Ventura County immigration raids. During those operations, federal agents detained approximately 300 individuals at marijuana farms, with authorities reporting the death of 57-year-old Jaime Alanís Garcia, who fell from a greenhouse roof during the enforcement action.
The Department of Homeland Security indicated the raids were part of a child labor investigation, with officials locating 14 minors including eight unaccompanied children at the farming operations. The raids occurred despite a federal judge’s ruling blocking certain ICE operations in Los Angeles based on Fourth Amendment concerns about racial profiling and improper detention methods.
Vance responded to Newsom’s criticism with a brief social media post, stating he “had a great time, thanks” in response to the governor’s comments about family separation. The Vice President did not publicly address the confrontation with Kleeb or other incidents during his theme park visit.
The controversy highlighted broader tensions over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies in California, where state officials have repeatedly clashed with federal authorities over detention methods and constitutional protections. Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento described the enforcement operations as terrorizing residents and creating widespread fear in affected communities.
While at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, Second Lady Usha Vance participated in a separate event on July 11, reading to Blue Star children and promoting her summer reading challenge for students in kindergarten through eighth grade as part of the Blue Star Disney Books program.
