Vice President JD Vance is giving Team USA some unsolicited advice as the athletes compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“My advice to them would be to try to bring the country together, and when you’re representing the country, you’re representing Democrats and Republicans,” Vance, 41, told CNN and other reporters on Wednesday, February 11. “You’re there to play a sport, and you’re there to represent your country and hopefully win a medal. You’re not there to pop off about politics.”
Earlier this month, JD and his wife, First Lady Usha Vance, attended the opening ceremony at the Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium in Milan, to little fanfare.
During NBC’s broadcast of the event, the couple could be seen holding up American flags as they cheered on Team USA during the Parade of Nations.When shown on the stadium’s jumbotron, the pair were greeted by loud boos from the crowd, per NBC’s broadcast.
In recent days, several past and present Team USA Olympic athletes have opened up about the often confusing experience of representing a country they don’t always agree with politically..
While JD said it’s not uncommon for athletes to voice their own opinions, he hopes their focus stays on their respective sports.
“Yes, you’re going to have some Olympic athletes who pop off about politics. I feel like that happens every Olympics,” he shared. “But most Olympic athletes, whatever their politics, are doing a great job. [They] certainly enjoy the support of the entire country, and I think recognize that the way to bring the country together is not to show up in a foreign country and attack the President of the United States, but it’s to play your sport and to represent the country well.”
The Vice President added, “When Olympics enter the political arena, they should expect some pushback.”
Before the 2026 Winter Games opening ceremony in Milan, freestyle skier Hunter Hess opened up about representing the United States in the midst of the country’s current polarizing political climate.
“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now,” Hess, 27, said at a press conference on Friday, February 6. “It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of. … Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.A.”
Summer Olympian Ilona Maher, who is among a group of content creators at the Milano Cortina Games, also shared her perspective on supporting her country.
“When I say, ‘Go USA!’ I am not condoning what is happening in my country,” Maher, 29, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, February 10. “I say, ‘Go USA!’ for all the athletes who I believe are a beautiful representation of what America should be. Those that are following a dream like many of their ancestors who dreamt of a better life and came to America for that.”
A total of 245 gold medals will be awarded to winners of 116 Olympic and 79 Paralympic events over the next few weeks.
As of Wednesday, Team USA had already earned 11 medals, including four gold medals.
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