Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife accompanied the American delegation to the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics on Friday, but got a frigid welcome from the audience.
Video showed Vance and wife Usha receiving loud boos, which one reporter noted was a “rare” event not seen at an Olympic ceremony in decades.
American Athletes Cheered After Boos for J.D. Vance
The opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Games was held on Friday, with the festivities taking place during the afternoon hours in the United States with a tape-delayed broadcast scheduled for the evening.
But many attending the event reported a loud, resounding boo when Vance and his wife were shown on the video screen. Reporter Christine Brennan noted that the American delegation of athletes received a much warmer welcome.
“It’s very rare to hear boos at an Olympic opening ceremony,” Brennan shared in a post on X. “In my 22 Olympics it probably has happened but I sure don’t remember it. Vice President JD Vance just got booed when he appeared on the big screen. The US athletes, on the other hand, received loud cheers.”
Many of Vance’s critics seized on the reaction, calling it the world’s assessment of Vance and President Donald Trump.
“JD Vance just had the entire stadium booing him at the Olympics in Italy. So humiliating,” shared activist Harry Sisson in a post on X.
The International Olympic Committee had already encouraged fans to be civil to Vance, with IOC President Kirsty Coventry saying at a press conference on Wednesday that she understood frustration with American politics, but hoped fans could have that behind..
“I hope that the opening ceremony is seen by everyone as an opportunity to be respectful of each other,” Coventry said.
“No one is asking what country they come from or what religion. They are all just hanging out,” she said. “It was a real opportunity to put into perspective how we could all be. And so, for me, I hope that the opening ceremony will do that and will be a reminder for everyone how we could be.”
But some top Italian officials had already signalled that they were unhappy with the American administration. Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala said last week during a radio broadcast that he was angry with immigration efforts in the United States, particularly the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
“This is a militia that kills. It’s a militia that signs its own permits to enter people’s house, like we signed our own permission slips at school, except it’s much more serious,” Sala said. “They’re not welcome in Milan. Can’t we just say ‘no’ to Trump for once?”
J.D. Vance Delivered Message to Athletes
Prior to his controversial appearance on Friday, Vance traveled to Milan and met with some athletes. He was also scheduled to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his visit.
Some athletes applauded when Vance and his wife stepped off the plane to arrive, and the vice president later delivered some encouragement to the American contingent.
“The whole country – Democrat, Republican, Independent – we’re all rooting for you,” he said, via the Guardian. “We’re cheering for you, and we know you’re going to make us proud.”
J.D. Vance Booed by ‘Entire Stadium’ at Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony