JD Vance’s visit to the English countryside took an unexpected turn when one of its most celebrated pubs refused to serve him.
The Bull in Charlbury, Oxfordshire is an early 16th-century restaurant known for its charm and its Michelin Bib Gourmand award. It is a favorite among locals and tourists alike. But according to reports, the staff refused to work if Vance’s dinner booking went ahead.
The rejection is striking because the same venue recently welcomed Kamala Harris. The vice president dined there just weeks earlier as part of the pre-wedding celebrations for Steve Jobs’ daughter, Eve, who married British Olympic equestrian Harry Charles in the Cotswolds at the end of July. One local told The Sun, “It’s been the talk of the village — it’s the most exciting thing that’s happened here for a very long time.”
This time the reaction could not have been more different. According to the Popb—- newsletter, staff staged what was described as a mutiny over the idea of Vance visiting. A steak at The Bull can cost diners $98, but the problem was not the bill. It was who was at the table.
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When asked by The Daily Beast, one staff member said, “Unfortunately, I’m not able to comment,” and directed questions to the owner, Public House Group. Representatives for Vance have also been contacted.
The refusal came during a tense visit to the area. Vance and his family were staying in a grand 18th-century manor near the hamlet of Dean. His arrival was met with a “Dance Against Vance” protest in Charlbury. Demonstrators carried signs calling him a “war criminal” and displayed a meme showing him bald, baby-faced, and with swollen, rosy cheeks.
Residents soon became weary of the heavy security presence. Steve Akers, deputy mayor of nearby Chipping Norton, said, “We’ve had a curtailment of our freedoms here, just by his mere presence, in terms of where we can walk and where we can be.” He claimed the American Secret Service was “knocking on people’s doors and asking about their Facebook profiles.”
Thames Valley Police, which supported U.S. security during the visit, denied those claims. “Residents were under no obligation to answer any questions and were not asked about social media,” a police spokesperson said.
On local forums, the backlash was clear. “The whole charade was obscene. No respect,” wrote Alice Chanders. Rosemary Bennett was even more direct: “Good riddance…..”
By Wednesday evening, Vance had left the Cotswolds and flown to Scotland on Air Force Two with his family. The first full day of his Scottish visit was spent playing golf at Donald Trump’s Turnberry course in South Ayrshire.
The outing came only weeks after Trump himself had been at the same resort. For Vance, it was a friendlier scene, far from the protests and the standoff with pub staff.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
