U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unaware that Vice President JD Vance had been booed during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Italy, calling the reaction surprising when asked by reporters aboard Air Force One.
“I didn’t see. Is that true? Is that right?” Trump said when told Vance had been booed. “That’s surprising, ’cause people like him. Well, I mean, he is in a foreign country, you know, in all fairness, but, uh, he doesn’t get booed in this country.”
Reporter: Did you see that the VP Vance got booed at the Olympics?
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 7, 2026
Trump: That’s surprising because people like him. He doesn’t get booed in this country. pic.twitter.com/cmbfm21FNm
The comments came as Trump traveled to Palm Beach, Florida, on Feb. 6, according to the video of the exchange released by the White House.
Vance was attending the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan alongside his wife, Usha Vance, when television coverage showed a mixed crowd response during the introduction of the U.S. delegation.
An Olympics commentator noted audible boos and whistles as cameras focused briefly on the vice president, saying, “Those are a lot of boos for him, whistling, jeering, some applause,” before the broadcast cut away from the couple.
BREAKING: In a stunning moment, JD Vance was just booed relentlessly at the Olympics. Wow. The Trump-Vance admin is humiliating us on the world stage. pic.twitter.com/06ryMvehDH
— Democratic Wins Media (@DemocraticWins) February 6, 2026
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with Vance earlier that day in Milan, reaffirming U.S.–Italian ties amid political controversy surrounding the presence of U.S. security personnel at the Games, according to Reuters.
The meeting was also attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Meloni said the talks covered bilateral relations, energy security and international issues including Iran and Venezuela, Reuters reported.
The visit comes amid protests in Italy following disclosures that analysts linked to a branch of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would support the U.S. delegation at the Games. The development prompted criticism from political groups and student organizations concerned about ICE’s role.
Hundreds of demonstrators have staged protests across Milan over the past week, warning that the presence of U.S. immigration-linked personnel could provoke hostility toward American athletes and officials, according to Reuters.
Meloni dismissed the controversy as “surreal,” saying the ICE-linked investigative branch had long cooperated with Italian authorities and would not carry out immigration enforcement on Italian territory.
