Vice President J.D. Vance Booed at Milan Olympic Opening Ceremony
Some 65,000 spectators at Milan's San Siro audibly booed Vice President J.D. Vance during the opening ceremony on Feb. 7, 2026, though U.S. broadcast audio omitted the boos.
Overview
Vice President J.D. Vance was met with audible boos and jeers from sections of the roughly 65,000-person crowd at San Siro during the Milan Cortina opening ceremony on Feb. 7, 2026, according to journalists in the press tribunes and international broadcasters.
The discrepancy matters because multiple international feeds and social media clips captured the boos within minutes while NBC's U.S. broadcast did not carry the same crowd audio, and NBC has denied editing the audio.
President Donald Trump called the reaction "surprising" in remarks on Air Force One and the White House circulated a clip of cheering moments from the ceremony, while the International Olympic Committee said IOC President Kirsty Coventry had "very good chemistry" with Vance during meetings in Milan.
A YouGov poll released Feb. 6 found sharp declines in favorable views of the United States across Western Europe, including 84% of Danes holding an unfavorable view, a shift cited by analysts as context for anti-U.S. reactions.
Media and broadcast analysts say the episode raises questions about narrative control and oversight ahead of the July 14, 2028 Los Angeles opening ceremony, when the U.S. head of state is required to declare the Games open.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present the coverage neutrally: they report both booing and warm diplomatic interactions, attribute claims to IOC spokespeople and organizers, and include protest context and ICE involvement. Editorial language stays descriptive, with primary emphasis on sourced statements rather than evaluative framing, so no sustained narrative bias appears.
Sources (7)
FAQ
The boos were linked to anti-U.S. sentiment amid declining favorable views of the United States in Western Europe and protests in Italy over Trump administration policies, including the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.
Trump expressed shock and surprise, stating 'Is that true? That’s surprising because people like him' and noting Vance was in a foreign country.
CEO Andrea Varnier said he did not hear the booing, as he was focused on the ceremony in his role, but described the cheering for Team USA as 'incredible' and 'amazing'.
NBC's U.S. broadcast did not carry the crowd audio capturing the boos, while international feeds and social media clips did, and NBC has denied editing the audio.
History
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