US Vice-President JD Vance was met with boos and jeers from the crowd during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday, though American viewers watching NBC's broadcast would not have heard the negative reaction. The booing was audible on Canadian broadcaster CBC's feed, where a commentator remarked on the hostile reception.
The crowd's reaction was also noted by journalists from The Guardian and USA Today who were present at the San Siro stadium. However, NBC's coverage did not include the boos, and the commentary team simply said Vance's name as he appeared on screen. Footage of the booing circulated on social media, while the White House posted a clip from NBC showing Vance applauding without any audible dissent.
This is not the first instance of efforts to shield US viewers from public displays of disapproval towards the Trump administration. At the US Open in September, tournament organisers asked broadcasters to avoid showing crowd reactions to Donald Trump's attendance at the men's final.
Earlier on Friday, hundreds protested the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the Games. The US state department confirmed that several federal agencies, including ICE, are in Italy to assist with security for American visitors, but said the unit is separate from domestic immigration enforcement.
US freestyle skier Hunter Hess expressed mixed feelings about representing his country in the current political climate, stating, 'Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US.'
IOC spokesman Mark Adams addressed the booing on Saturday, saying the IOC supports fair play and does not like to see athletes booed for the actions of their governments. He noted that Vance had a positive meeting with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, and praised the US administration's engagement with the Games.
