Secret Service for Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) caused a stir among his fellow neighbors near his home in Alexandria, Virginia, when they recently closed a small park temporarily near the Ohio senator’s home for security measures.
The security detail for Vance has been ramped up in recent weeks, particularly since the assassination attempt of his Republican running mate former President Donald Trump. The city, in consultation with the Secret Service, has closed a small park in close proximity to the Vance family home to help protect them from potential threats.
Vance’s home is situated in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, one of the most progressive neighborhoods in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.
The backlash about this security decision spurred social media posts and numerous community messages from his left-leaning neighbors.
Neighbors posted on the social media app Bluesky about their plans to gather in the park near Vance’s home before it closed on Sunday.
“Partying like there’s no tomorrow in the park next to JV Dance’s house. Which there is not because it will be closed to the public starting tomorrow. I brought donuts,” one person wrote, showing pictures of food and a “Kamala [Harris] is Brat” multicolored friendship bracelet.
The donuts reference is connected to social media posts of Vance’s visit to a donut shop while campaigning that some progressives attempted to call “weird.”
Another neighbor posted that the gathering would include cat lady costumes and anti-Trump karaoke music.
“ALX: we’re gathering tomorrow at 5pm in the park next to JV Dance’s house to say goodbye to it before the Secret Service closes it down on Sunday. There will be Kamala friendship bracelets, cat lady costumes, donuts (whatever makes sense), and ‘I’m a Never Trump Guy (Remix)’ karaoke.” she wrote.
The neighbors made frequent jokes about Vance and couches, referring to a debunked X-rated hoax about a story that never was written in his memoir Hillbilly Elegy. In one post, one neighbor asks whether anyone had “an old kids couch” they could use for the park party.
One Del Ray resident photographed proudly wore a “Del Ray Mafia for Kamala” shirt at the park farewell party over the weekend.
Other Del Ray neighbors have posted “Childless Cat Lady for Kamala” signs in their yards to protest Vance living in their neighborhood.
The neighbors have been openly putting up rainbow-striped cloth and pride flags since Vance moved to the neighborhood as a newly elected senator. Some local activists have reportedly “yard-bombed” his home with transgender and Pride flags and a sign reading “Respect Our Rights” around a utility tree outside his house.
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“JD Vance’s neighbors losing their minds over the closure of a postage stamp sized toddler playground for security reasons is peak Northern VA,” Alexandria resident Julie Gunlock wrote on X.
She added, “Reminder: this is the same neighborhood where Democrat James Hodgkinson tried to murder 24 Republican congressman a few yrs ago yet these folks are now complaining about a minor security measure taken for the guy running w/Trump, who was almost assassinates a few weeks ago. These people are insane.”
