Vice President Vance Attends Winter Olympics Hockey with Boxer Jake Paul
Vice President JD Vance moved past the controversy of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony by joining boxing star Jake Paul to cheer on the US women's hockey team. The pair sat together as the Americans secured a commanding 5-0 victory over Finland on Saturday, with Vance arriving during the first-period intermission when the Stars and Stripes led 1-0.
Family and Celebrity Support at the Game
Vance was accompanied by his wife, Usha, who wore a sweatshirt emblazoned with 'USA' in large letters and clapped along to Queen's 'We Will Rock You.' Their youngest daughter, Mirabel, sat on the Vice President's lap throughout the match. Jake Paul, whose fiancée, speed skater Jutta Leerdam, is competing for the Netherlands, joined the Vance family shortly after their arrival.
A spokesperson for Vance told the Daily Mail, 'Vice President Vance had a great time cheering on the U.S. Women’s Hockey team, and looks forward to seeing Team USA dominate the Olympic Games over the next few weeks.' Throughout the game, Vance and Paul were seen engaged in deep conversation, sharing laughs amid the American celebrations.
Olympic Icons and Previous Controversy
The event drew a notable crowd, including 2010 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek and hockey Hall of Famers Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, who were part of the US gold medal-winning team in 2018. This appearance came less than 24 hours after Vance faced a chorus of boos during the opening ceremony, where Team USA was jeered by Italian fans in Milan's San Siro stadium.
The booing intensified when Vance appeared on screen, following recent protests against the deployment of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the Olympics. Despite this, both Vance and the athletes, led by flagbearers Erin Jackson and Frankie del Luca, maintained high spirits and greeted fans in attendance.
Vance's Olympic Diplomacy and Historical Context
This was not Vance's first visit to the games; he previously watched the US women's team defeat the Czech Republic 5-1 on Thursday with his family and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Winter Olympics marks the initial stop on a trip blending diplomacy and sports, with Vance scheduled to visit Armenia and Azerbaijan to support a White House-brokered peace agreement.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Vance discussed the trip as a highlight of his tenure, stating, 'The whole country - Democrat, Republican, independent - we're all rooting for you and we're cheering for you.' He follows in the footsteps of former vice presidents Joe Biden and Mike Pence, who attended previous Winter Olympics, while Kamala Harris did not attend the 2022 games due to a human rights boycott.
