Vice President JD Vance’s family vacation in the picturesque Cotswolds took an unexpected turn, as an activist group took it upon themselves to troll the politician with a viral meme.
While Vance, 41, and his wife, Usha, 39, enjoyed a relaxing getaway with their children—Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and Mirabel, 3—at an 18th-century manor house, a protest group called Everyone Hates Elon made their presence known. This group, known for targeting high-profile figures like Donald Trump, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk, set its sights on Vance during his time in the UK.
The group plastered a meme of Vance’s face—digitally altered with an exaggerated bald head—across billboards and signs in the area. More notably, they rented an advertising van with the meme displayed on both sides and the back, driving around the Cotswolds where Vance and his family were staying.
Activist Group Targets Vance’s Vacation
The campaign was an attempt to disrupt Vance’s holiday, and the group didn’t hold back with their messaging. “If he thinks he can come here for peaceful tea and crumpets, he’s got another thing coming,” the group wrote in a statement. On their Instagram page, Everyone Hates Elon posted that they were collecting donations to help “ruin JD Vance’s trip,” making clear their objective to show the vice president he was “NOT welcome in the U.K.”
In one post, the group wrote: “Such an absolute SHAME that coverage of JD’s holiday features this meme of his face as a big bald baby, rather than peacefully enjoying scones and cream in the Cotswolds.”
A Meme with a Backstory
The image of Vance’s altered face has a particular backstory. Earlier this year, a Norwegian tourist named Mads Mikkelsen claimed he was denied entry into the U.S. after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found the same meme on his phone.
According to Mikkelsen, he was threatened with a $5,000 fine or a five-year prison sentence if he didn’t provide the password to his phone, and once they discovered the meme, he was sent back to Norway.
After the story went viral, U.S. Customs and Border Protection responded, claiming that Mikkelsen’s denial was due to “admitted drug use,” not the meme.
Free Speech Debate
Vance’s presence in the UK has sparked another debate surrounding free speech. Earlier in the year, the vice president criticized the U.K. for what he described as a growing free speech issue. During a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Vance argued that U.K. tech regulations posed a threat to American businesses, and he expressed concerns over the suppression of free speech.
Starmer responded by defending the long-standing tradition of free speech in the U.K., saying, “We’ve had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom and it will last for a very, very long time.”
Disruptions Beyond the Meme
The protest group isn’t the only issue Vance has faced during his vacation. According to The Telegraph, the property owner where the Vances were staying had to send an apology to her neighbors, expressing regret for the disruptions caused by the visit. The Secret Service’s preparations for Vance’s stay included setting up checkpoints, installing a large antenna behind the manor, and even creating a makeshift helipad in a nearby field.
The controversy surrounding Vance’s vacation, including the protests and security arrangements, has left many wondering if the vice president’s stay in the quiet Cotswolds will be remembered for more than just its beauty.
