Vice-President JD Vance Receives Hostile Reception in Milan
The US vice-president, JD Vance, faced a hostile reception from some attendees at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday. However, American viewers watching NBC’s broadcast were not made aware of this reaction as the network appeared to cut out the crowd’s dissent.
As speedskater Erin Jackson led Team USA into the San Siro stadium, she was met with cheers from the crowd. Yet, when the television cameras shifted focus to Vance and his wife, Usha, audible boos, jeers, and some applause could be heard. This reaction was captured on the Canadian broadcaster CBC’s feed, where a commentator remarked:
“There is the vice-president JD Vance and his wife Usha – oops, those are not … uh … those are a lot of boos for him. Whistling, jeering, some applause.”
’s Sean Ingle was present at the ceremony and documented the crowd’s response, as did other observers. In contrast, NBC’s broadcast muted the boos when Vance appeared on screen, with the commentary team simply stating “JD Vance.” Despite this, video clips of the crowd’s reaction circulated widely on social media in the United States. The White House highlighted footage from NBC’s broadcast showing Vance applauding without any audible boos.
Previous Instances of Broadcast Edits to Mask Dissent
This was not the first occasion where efforts were made to prevent US viewers from witnessing public dissent against figures associated with the Trump administration. In September, during the US Open tennis tournament, organizers requested broadcasters to avoid showing crowd reactions to Donald Trump’s attendance at the men’s final. A message to broadcasters stated:
“We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showing any disruptions or reactions in response to the president’s attendance in any capacity.”
Protests Against ICE Presence at the Games
Earlier on the same day in Milan, hundreds of protesters demonstrated against the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the Winter Olympics. The US State Department confirmed that multiple federal agencies, including ICE, would be present at the Games to assist in protecting visiting Americans. The department clarified that the ICE unit operating in Italy is distinct from those involved in immigration enforcement actions within the United States.
Mixed Feelings Among Athletes Representing the US
Before the ceremony, freestyle skier Hunter Hess expressed ambivalence about representing the US amid the current political climate. He stated:
“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US.”
Other Athletes Also Received Mixed Reactions
JD Vance was not the only individual to receive a mixed reception. The four athletes representing Israel were met with both boos and cheers during their appearance at the opening ceremony.
