SEvery thousand spectators who showed up for a hockey match in Milan’s western suburbs on Thursday afternoon may have gotten a taste of the 2028 Republican ticket when US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended the US women’s Olympic opening match. With one hockey game already postponed due to the norovirusOlympic organizers could have been forgiven for hoping to avoid other sudden waves of nausea at the secondary rink across town.
Vance is in Italy to lead the official U.S. delegation at Friday’s opening ceremony, joined by second lady Usha Vance, Rubio and billionaire Tilman Fertitta, the U.S. ambassador to Italy and owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets. The group watched Thursday’s game from the second and third rows of center ice behind the scorer’s table, next to Olympic gold medal-winning hockey sisters Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando.
Perhaps it was the four dozen or so U.S. Secret Service agents who formed a Roman testudo around Vance’s party, tempering any possible negative reception. More likely it was the far more seductive phenomenon of celebrity gravity. Nearly everyone within the vice president’s line of sight — including volunteers, arena staff, private security and working media — appeared to have a phone on, recording the moment as he walked to his seat.
The U.S. Olympic delegation in Milan — which also includes organizers involved in planning the 2034 Winter Games in Utah — is operating in what officials privately describe as a heightened diplomatic posture, aware that the Games function as both a sporting event and a global political stage.
Both Vance and Rubio are expected to attend the opening ceremony at San Siro on Friday evening. Olympic officials have quietly expressed hope that the ceremony will unfold without political demonstrations targeting American athletes or officials.
Part of this concern stems from Italy’s political reaction to reports that analysts affiliated with an agency within the U.S. immigration enforcement structure would be present at the Games in an advisory role. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said these personnel would not fulfill any law enforcement role on Italy’s streets, dismissing criticism of their presence as politically driven.
The fear that audience members would jeer the Star-Spangled Banner was essentially unchallenged Thursday afternoon. Neither anthem was played before the preliminary round match between the United States and the Czech Republic. If he had, Vance probably would have missed them; he arrived midway through the first period.
It was less clear whether the arena DJ was having a bit of fun when a techno remix of the Trump campaign song YMCA played just before the United States took the ice in their crisp blue jerseys.
Not long after the American contingent settled into their seats, Vance stood to applaud when Alex Carpenter scored the opening goal for the Americans. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird blasted through the arena’s sound system as American fans stood waving flags.
Anticipation of a vocal public response to the high-profile political presence largely failed to materialize. Ticket holders showed little reaction when Vance and Rubio sneaked into the stands midway through the first period. At one point, Vance was seen quietly joining fans in a chant of “USA! USA! USA!”
On the ice, the Americans seemed largely unaware of the moment unfolding behind them. Veteran forward Hilary Knight said afterward that she and her teammates did not notice Vance’s arrival.
For a long time, the day felt closer to Olympic theater than geopolitics. Earlier Thursday, Vance and his wife arrived in Milan ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony. According to the vice president’s office, he will meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the visit.
Vance arrived in a blue zip-up jacket with an American flag patch on the sleeve and was greeted by Fertitta on the tarmac of Malpensa Airport. Usha Vance wore a white fleece with the Stars and Stripes on the back next to the Olympic rings. Television footage showed the couple being welcomed by a group of American athletes waiting nearby, some of whom applauded as they stepped off the plane.
Soon after, Vance spoke to athletes and framed the Olympics as a rare national unity, telling competitors from across the political spectrum that they were rallying behind them. “The entire country – Democrat, Republican, Independent – we support you all,” he said. “We’re cheering for you, and we know you’re going to make us proud.”
He joked that even though the second lady isn’t typically a sports fan, she gets completely engrossed in the Olympics every two years and insists they watch together, something he said has been true since they first started dating. The anecdote, he suggested, reflected the Games’ ability to capture the attention of people who otherwise pay little attention to sport.
Rubio joined the couple shortly afterwards. The group paused to take photos before heading off to Olympic meets and site visits.
Earlier in the day, Vance also met with members of several U.S. freestyle ski teams, greeting athletes individually, placing passport cards around various necks and asking where they were from. He told athletes he had taken up skiing in recent years and asked what they were most excited about going to the Games. After brief conversations, the group posed for photos.
Later that afternoon, however, the focus in the arena remained on hockey. The U.S. women controlled the game against the Czechs early, pushing possession deep into the attacking zone and providing sustained pressure before recording a 5-1 victory. Vance, who sat with his wife and three children, alternated between looking at the ice and scanning the crowd. The attitude of a visiting dignitary was one of awareness that he was being watched almost as closely as the match itself.
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