JD Vance and Marco Rubio cheer Team USA in Milan, call Olympics a unifying tradition
🚨 JUST IN: Vice President JD Vance is being praised for giving this INCREDIBLE pep talk to Team USA athletes at the Milan Winter Olympics overseas
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 5, 2026
"The WHOLE country — Democrat, Republican, Independent — we're ALL rooting for you, cheering for you, we know you're going to make… pic.twitter.com/9OWa0usMaY
MILAN, LOMBARDY: Vice President JD Vance said that the Olympic Games remained one of the rare moments when Americans came together across political divides, as he met with US athletes during a visit to Milan tied to the Milan-Cortina Winter Games on Thursday, February 5.
“The whole country, Democrat, Republican, independent, we’re all rooting for you, and we’re cheering for you,” Vance told Team USA members, calling the Olympics “one of the few things that unites the entire country.”
JD Vance roots for US athletes at Milan
Vance arrived in Milan with his family as the head of President Donald Trump’s delegation to the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The trip blended sports diplomacy with a narrower foreign-policy agenda, as the administration limited overseas travel while focusing on domestic priorities ahead of the November midterm elections.
During his visit, Vance attended a preliminary women’s hockey match, where the US team defeated the Czech Republic 5–1. Vance lauded the team after the victory.
Vance pointed to the bipartisan appeal of the Games, saying that the Olympics still managed to cut through political polarization.
“I hope you win as many medals as possible. Everybody is rooting for you guys, and everybody’s cheering for you,” he said, adding that the competition consistently brought Americans together every two years.
Vance joked about the Olympics’ pull at home, saying his wife “is not a sports fan” but “obsessively makes us watch the Olympics” every cycle.
Opening Ceremony is almost here. 🇺🇲
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) February 5, 2026
Vice President JD Vance stopped by the Team USA Welcome Experience after arriving in Milan to lead the #WinterOlympics U.S. delegation. pic.twitter.com/UYFUu8qOsC
At Friday’s opening ceremony, the vice president will lead a US delegation that includes Second Lady Usha Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta.
Former Olympic champions are also part of the delegation, including hockey sisters Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, speedskater Apolo Ohno and figure skater Evan Lysacek.
JD Vance to visit Armenia and Azerbaijan after Olympics
Following the Olympic events, Vance is set to travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
President Trump has tasked Vance with advancing a US-brokered peace agreement aimed at ending decades of conflict between the two former Soviet republics.
The deal calls for reopening major transportation routes and expanding cooperation with Washington in areas such as energy, technology, and trade, as the administration seeks to strengthen US influence in the region.
