Former ESPN personality Sarah Spain expressed feeling ‘ill’ when she found herself seated near JD Vance during the Winter Olympics.
At the San Siro, during the opening ceremony earlier this month, the vice president faced boos from the crowd. Cameras captured him and his wife, Usha, waving American flags as the Milano Cortina 2026 commenced.
Commentators from CNN 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.”
Spain, who hosts Good Game With Sarah Spain, recounted sitting about 20 meters away from Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as the Trump administration officials stayed to watch the US women’s hockey team play against Czechia after the ceremony.
Discussing the incident on her podcast, Spain detailed: “Twelve minutes into the first period, that area suddenly is awash with large men in suits with earpieces. And here comes JD Vance carrying a child and a bunch of security, and eventually Marco Rubio.
“When I see JD Vance’s eyeliner face, I literally feel ill, like a basilisk had looked you in the eye and death was awaiting you on the other side.”
Spain continued: “And I don’t even believe in that, but my body felt like when you’ve been spooked and you have a little tingle that feels like, ‘ooh, something’s not right.’ That’s what my body felt like. And I was in no way prepared to see him.”
Covering the Winter Olympics in Italy, the sports presenter claimed that the security detail for Vance and Rubio obstructed her view of the event.
“It made me so angry,” Spain commented on the blocked view. “Not just because his f****** Secret Service were blocking half the ice … like, we’re trying to watch a hockey game.”
She concluded with her thoughts on Vance: “You ruined it.”
The vice president’s office has been approached for their comments.
Following the boos directed at Vance during the ceremony, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams remarked in a press conference: “What I would say from the IOC point of view is with the next Games coming up in Los Angeles, we are super happy that the US administration is so engaged with the Games here and going forward. That’s a great thing for the Olympic movement.
“We are largely a sports organisation and seeing the US team cheered as they were by the audience, fair play, that was fantastic, so very happy.
“In general at sporting events we like to see fair play, but in terms of having a good relationship with the administration, that’s good news for us.”