American athletes received a warm welcome on Friday at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, but it didn’t last long.
Team USA took the stage, led by flag bearer Erin Jackson, to uproarious applause at Milan’s San Siro Stadium during the parade of nations. Soon after, cameras briefly turned to Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance.
Jeers could be heard from the crowd as the couple was shown on the screen, waving small American flags and smiling. Similar reactions ensued when Israel’s delegation was introduced.
Vance has been a controversial figure in his role as VP. He was widely criticized for berating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office and for asserting American dominance over Europe in foreign affairs.
This year’s Winter Olympics are the most geographically extensive in history, with other events held in Livigno, Predazzo, and Cortina d’Ampezzo, and the games themselves spreading widely across northern Italy.
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