Vice President JD Vance faced intense criticism and protests during a weekend family visit to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, with his wife Usha and their three young children. The visit, which occurred on Saturday, July 12, drew hundreds of demonstrators and sparked a heated exchange with California Governor Gavin Newsom over the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Vance was spotted at the theme park’s Bayou Country area with a heightened security presence and Disney staff members. Video footage captured the Vice President and his family, including their children aged three, five, and eight, navigating the park amid heightened security measures. The visit disrupted normal park operations, resulting in prolonged wait times and temporary ride closures for other guests.
The family’s presence at the California amusement park triggered significant security protocols at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, where enhanced screening procedures were implemented. Hotel guests reported restricted access to the main entrance, with vehicles directed through security checkpoints where dogs conducted searches. All bags underwent scanner screening, with larger luggage subject to hand searches before entry was permitted.
Protesters gathered outside the resort, particularly along Disney Drive and Katella Avenue, voicing opposition to the administration’s immigration enforcement actions. The demonstrations occurred one day after massive Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids at farms in Ventura County, where approximately 200 people believed to be undocumented immigrants were detained. One farmworker, 57-year-old Jaime Alanís Garcia, died during the raids after falling from a greenhouse roof, while others sustained critical injuries.
Inside the park, Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Jane Fleming Kleeb confronted Vance while he walked with one of his children. Kleeb repeatedly stated her support for immigrants and America, questioning the Vice President about his presence in California. The confrontation was captured on video, showing Vance continuing to walk without responding to Kleeb’s comments. Kleeb later indicated that she asked the obvious question about his apparent dislike of California.
Governor Newsom launched a sharp attack against Vance’s visit through social media posts. “Hope you enjoy your family time, @JDVance. The families you’re tearing apart certainly won’t,” Newsom wrote on X, referencing ongoing ICE raids across Southern California. The governor’s office also posted commentary noting that 35 percent of Anaheim’s residents are immigrants and that Disneyland relies on their labor.
Vance responded to Newsom’s criticism with a brief social media reply, thanking the governor for his well-wishes without addressing the immigration enforcement comments. The vice president posted that he had a great time during the visit, maintaining a measured tone despite the public confrontation.
The Disneyland visit was part of a broader Orange County trip that included official activities. Second Lady Usha Vance visited Camp Pendleton on Friday to read to Blue Star children as part of her summer reading initiative. The vice president also spent time hiking with Marines at the military installation near San Diego.
Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento expressed willingness to meet with Vance but only if he would discuss concerns about ongoing immigration operations. Sarmiento characterized the enforcement actions as terrorizing residents, shuttering businesses, and creating widespread fear in communities.
The visit’s timing proved particularly controversial given the recent ICE operations. Federal agents had detained at least 361 people across two marijuana farms in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties on Thursday, July 10. The Department of Homeland Security reported locating 14 minors during the raids, including eight unaccounted children. Officials indicated the operations were connected to child labor investigations.
Social media reactions to the Disneyland incident extended beyond political figures. Users on various platforms, including Bluesky, defended the public criticism of Vance despite his children’s presence. Some commentators argued that exposure to public disapproval would help the children understand their father’s policies and public perception.
Clara Jeffery, editor-in-chief of the left-leaning Mother Jones magazine, sparked outrage with her social media posts defending the heckling of Vance’s children. Jeffery maintained that it was important for the children to become aware of their father’s behavior, likening their experience to that of kids who watch their parents endure deportation proceedings. She also implied that Vance purposefully brought his family along to attract favorable media attention after they were booed.
Jeffery’s remarks were met with immediate and intense criticism. Donald Trump Jr. denounced the statements, questioning what kind of individual would direct such comments toward young children. GOP strategist Andrew Surabian went further, referring to Jeffery as a soulless ghoul in response to her stance on the issue.
The confrontation highlighted the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and California officials over immigration enforcement strategies. A federal judge had recently ruled to block certain ICE raid methods in Los Angeles, determining that using factors like race, language, or location to establish reasonable suspicion for detention violates Fourth Amendment protections.
Will O’Neill, chairman of the Orange County Republican Party, confirmed that Vance’s visit was intended as private family time rather than official government business. However, the presence of extensive security details and the timing amid controversial immigration operations drew significant public attention and political criticism.
