JD Vance and wife Usha booed at 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan

MILAN, ITALY: Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, on Friday, February 6, received a very cold welcome at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. 

While the American athletes cheered, the crowd turned to booing and whistling as soon as Vice President Vance appeared on the big screen.

Vice President JD Vance's name reportedly wasn't announced to the crowd

During the Parade of Nations, the stadium’s giant screen showed Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance.

Instead of the usual polite applause, the crowd broke into loud boos and jeers. CBC commentator Adrienne Arsenault noticed the sudden change in mood and said, “There’s the vice president, JD Vance, and his wife, Usha—oop. Those are not—oh, those are a lot of boos for him. Whistling, jeering, some applause.”

Reports from inside the stadium also claimed that, unlike other world leaders, Vance’s name was not even announced to the crowd.

IOC’s request for kindness goes unanswered

The negative reaction happened even though the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had asked people to be nice.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry had recently held a press conference urging fans to stay respectful despite "geopolitical" tensions.

She had said, “I hope that the opening ceremony is seen by everyone as an opportunity to be respectful of each other.” 

Coventry added that the Olympics should show how the world can get along, stating, “No one is asking what country they come from or what religion. They are all just hanging out. It was a real opportunity to put into perspective how we could all be.” 

However, the crowd ignored this advice, and back at home, former Vice President Kamala Harris' team poked fun at the situation on social media, posting, “Everyone booed anyway. Sad!”

Italians express anger over ICE's presence at Winter Olympics

Much of the anger came from recent news involving the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.

Many people were upset about the recent crackdown in Minneapolis that led to the deaths of two American citizens. 

After ICE agents were sent to Milan to help with Olympic security, hundreds of Italians held protests in the streets. They felt that having the enforcement agents there was a "desecration of democracy." 

Although the administration said the agents were only working from a small room in the Consulate, protesters like Alessandro Capella told NPR, “It’s not just for the Olympic Games, it’s about justice in the world. We don’t want here ICE.”