Trump Reacts with Surprise to Reports of Vance Being Booed at Winter Olympics
U.S. President Donald Trump responded to news that Vice President JD Vance faced audible boos during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan with a statement that has raised eyebrows. Video footage from the event on Friday captured Vance and his wife, Usha, receiving what an Australian broadcaster described as "a lot of boos" from the assembled crowd. This incident quickly drew attention from media outlets and political observers alike.
Trump's Questionable Assertion About Vance's Domestic Reception
Later that same day, while aboard Air Force One, a reporter inquired if Trump had heard about the booing directed at his vice president. The president appeared visibly surprised by the question, as seen in video from Forbes Breaking News. "No, I didn't see that," Trump replied. "Is that true, is that right? It's surprising, 'cause people like him." He then added a curious justification: "Well, I mean he is in a foreign country, in all fairness. But, uh, he doesn't get booed in this country."
Multiple Documented Instances of Booing in the United States
Contrary to Trump's claim, Vance has indeed been booed on several occasions within the United States, highlighting a discrepancy in the president's assessment. In 2024, during Trump's presidential campaign, Vance was booed at a firefighters' union conference held in Boston. This was not an isolated event, as further incidents have been recorded and widely reported.
Last March, while on a ski vacation with his family in Vermont, Vance encountered booing from protesters. That same month, he faced a similar reception from the audience at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Additionally, viral video clips from August of last year show Vance being ruthlessly heckled and booed at Washington, D.C.'s Union Station, underscoring that such reactions are not uncommon for him domestically.
These documented occurrences challenge the narrative presented by Trump and suggest that Vance's public reception in the U.S. has been more mixed than the president indicated. The contrast between Trump's statement and the factual record adds another layer to the ongoing discussion about political figures and their interactions with the public, both at home and abroad.
