Vice President JD Vance encouraged American athletes competing in the Winter Olympics in Milan on Thursday, saying, regardless of political parties, the entire nation is “rooting” for them.
Vance was joined by his wife, second lady Usha Vance, and their three children when he spoke to the athletes.
“The whole country, Democrat, Republican, independent, we’re all rooting for you and we’re cheering for you,” Vance said. “We know you all are going to make us proud and thank you all and hope you guys all have fun.”
The vice president is leading the U.S.’s delegation to the 2026 Winter Olympics.
At the opening ceremony on Friday, Vance will be joined by the second lady, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta.
This is the second lady’s first public appearance since announcing her pregnancy in January. The second family said they are expecting the birth of their fourth child, a boy, in July.
Vance said the second lady is not a sports fan, but throughout their entire relationship, she has made them watch the Olympics. The vice president’s family frequently joins him on trips.
“My wife, the second lady, is not a sports fan, but every year, I guess every two years, she obsessively makes us watch the Olympics and that’s been true since the moment I started dating her,” he said.
Vance said the ceremony is special because it “brings the country together,” including for those who are not major sports fans yet choose to tune in to the Olympics.
“You can tell by the ratings from the Olympics,” he said. “You can tell by the fact it really brings the country together. Everybody is rooting for you guys. We’re so excited to be here.”
Former Olympic gold medalists will also be joining the U.S. delegation at the opening ceremony, including speedskater Apolo Ohno, figure skater Evan Lysacek, and hockey sisters Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando.
Vance praised the athletes, adding that attending the Olympics is the “highlight” of his time as vice president.
“Personally, I’m amazed by the combination of excellence and hard work that it takes to get here,” he said. “I can’t imagine what you guys had to sacrifice, what your family had to sacrifice, so I hope you guys enjoy it.”
He is expected to later visit Armenia and Azerbaijan on this trip to show support and build on the peace agreement the White House brokered last year, ending a four-decadelong conflict between the two countries.
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Vance’s attendance follows a history of other vice presidents going to the winter games. Former President Joe Biden, when he was vice president, attended the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010, and former Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Pyeongchang, Korea, in 2018 for the winter competition.
The Biden administration did not send former Vice President Kamala Harris or any other administration official to the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022 as a boycott over human rights concerns.