Vice President J.D. Vance’s recent visit to San Diego, California, was meant to be a celebratory one. It was a high-profile appearance at the Claremont Institute’s Statesmanship Award dinner and several closed-door events tied to his role as the Republican Party’s national finance chair. But whatever fanfare the administration expected was drowned out by the sound of boos, jeers, and public contempt.
On Sunday evening, Vance’s motorcade was met by a visibly angry crowd outside Soichi Sushi in the Normal Heights neighborhood. Videos circulating across Reddit and other social media platforms show residents hurling pointed insults and loud boos as the fleet of black SUVs exited the area. The above captures a chorus of “go home” chants and unprintable language aimed squarely at the Vice President.
The moment wasn’t isolated. According to local activist group “Be the Change SD,” protests had already disrupted a morning event Vance had planned in Solana Beach, while demonstrators also staged a demonstration Saturday night outside the exclusive Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, where the Claremont dinner took place.
While official footage of the events showed a polished schedule of right-wing networking and award ceremonies, the public-facing reality in San Diego told a starkly different story. Despite being his wife Usha Vance’s hometown, the Vice President’s presence here has only seemed to intensify local resentment.
“Why does this [expletive] keep coming back to San Diego?” one Reddit user asked. Whether fair or not, it’s clear that the Vance family name now draws more ire than nostalgia among many San Diegans.
The scene outside Soichi Sushi in particular has become emblematic of this divide. Footage shows a sizable gathering of locals lined along Adams Avenue, some holding handmade signs, others simply shouting as the motorcade pulled away. There was no violence reported, but the message was unmistakable: J.D. Vance, currently second in line to the presidency, is not welcome in this city.
The reaction is not entirely surprising. San Diego, while more moderate than other parts of California, has shifted further left over the past decade. With its growing base of young voters, transplants from coastal metros, and progressive activism on issues ranging from climate to immigration, the city has little patience for MAGA-aligned politics.
His affiliation with the Claremont Institute, which has increasingly aligned itself with authoritarian-adjacent political theory, only adds fuel to the fire. For many locals, the Statesmanship Award he received Saturday night will have felt like provocation.
Vance’s team has not publicly commented on the backlash. Whether future visits are on the calendar remains unclear, but if Sunday night’s reception is any indication, the welcome mat in San Diego has been firmly rolled up.
