Trump reacts after JD Vance, wife Usha booed in frosty reception at Winter Olympics in Italy: 'Surprising!'

US President Donald Trump expressed surprise over Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance's frosty reception during the opening ceremony of Winter Olympic Games in Italy. The audience reportedly booed upon seeing the vice president on the big screen during the opening ceremony.

JD Vance was in Milan to attend the Parade of Nations as the US presidential delegate to the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games. Expressing disapproval over JD Vance's presence, the crowd greeted the US Vice President with boos at the historic San Siro Stadium on 6 February.

Over the crowd's reaction at the international multi-sport event, a reporter asked Trump, “Did you see that the vice president got booed during the opening ceremony, though? What do you make of that?” The 79-year-old Republican leader asked the reporter to repeat the question to which she posed the question, "The vice president got booed during the opening ceremony? What do you make of that frosty…”

Expressing surprise, Trump said, “No. Is that true? Is that right?” Issuing a clarification over the spectators' cold reaction, he added, “It's surprising! Because people like him. Well, I mean, he is in a foreign country, you know, in all fairness. He doesn't get booed in this country.”

During the broadcast of the opening ceremony on Friday, CBC commentator Adrienne Arsenault said, “There’s the vice president, JD Vance, and his wife, Usha—oop,“ adding, “Those are not—oh, those are a lot of boos for him. Whistling, jeering, some applause.”

This was in marked contrast to the crowd's reaction upon seeing the US athletes participating in the Winter Olympics. The American team received a warm welcome in Italy.

Over possibility of jeering at the US delegation at San Siro in the Parade of Nations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry earlier this week had said, “I hope that the opening ceremony is seen by everyone as an opportunity ‍to be respectful of each other."

The closing ceremony of the 25th Winter Olympic Games will be held on 22 February at the iconic Verona, where Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" was set.