02/07/2026, 08:3202/07/2026, 08:32
Boos and whistles erupted at the opening show of the Winter Olympics at Milan’s San Siro Stadium on Friday evening as US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha were shown on screen.
US President Donald Trump was surprised by the boos against his deputy. He pointed out to journalists that people would like his fellow Republican.
To be fair, however, one has to say that the US Vice President is currently traveling in another country – “he is not being booed in this country (the USA),” emphasized Trump.
However, this claim is not true. In the US capital Washington alone, Vance was publicly booed several times last year, for example when attending a concert at the Kennedy Center, a renowned cultural venue that Trump took control of shortly after taking office.
Whistles also for Israel’s team
In Milan’s legendary San Siro football stadium, tens of thousands of spectators watched the opening show with the usual parade of athletes on Friday. At the same time, celebrations took place for the first time in three other locations – in Cortina, the second host city, as well as in Predazzo and Livigno.
Whistles and boos erupted as Israel’s team entered the stadium. And there was also booing when Vance was shown on the video screens as the US team arrived. He watched the ceremony from the official gallery.
Vance arrived in Milan on Thursday and met, among others, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his visit. Several hundred students marched through Milan before the opening ceremony to protest against the presence of US immigration authorities ICE at the Olympics. ICE officials have been criticized for their sometimes brutal actions against migrants in the USA. In the US Olympic delegation they are supposed to take care of the protection of officials like Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (vro/sda/dpa)