The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina were designed to be a stage for international unity, but for former ESPN personality Sarah Spain, the event became the backdrop for a deeply unsettling encounter. On a recent episode of her podcast, the veteran journalist detailed a “visceral” reaction to the presence of Vice President JD Vance, describing an experience that shifted from Olympic excitement to physical illness.
The incident occurred during the opening weeks of the Games at the San Siro stadium, where Vice President Vance and his wife, Usha, were in attendance to represent the United States. While the couple was seen prominently waving American flags, the atmosphere within the arena was anything but unified.
A Cold Reception in San Siro
As the Vice President’s image appeared on the stadium’s massive screens, the reception from the international and domestic crowd was starkly divided. CNN commentators covering the ceremony live struggled to characterize the wall of sound that greeted the American delegation.
“There is the Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha—oops, those are not… uh… those are a lot of boos for him,” one commentator noted mid-broadcast, describing a chaotic soundscape of “whistling, jeering, and some applause.”
“Like a Basilisk”: The View from 20 Meters
For Sarah Spain, the encounter was far more intimate than a distant image on a screen. On her podcast, Good Game With Sarah Spain, she recounted sitting just 20 meters away from the Vice President and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The group had remained after the opening festivities to watch the U.S. Women’s Hockey team face off against the Czech Republic.
The shift in the section’s energy was immediate, Spain recalled. “Twelve minutes into the first period, that area suddenly is awash with large men in suits with earpieces,” she said, describing the heavy-handed arrival of the Secret Service. “And here comes JD Vance carrying a child and a bunch of security, and eventually Marco Rubio.”
Spain did not hold back in describing the physical toll the proximity took on her, using evocative, almost gothic imagery to convey her distress.
“When I see JD Vance’s eyeliner face, I literally feel ill, like a basilisk had looked you in the eye and death was awaiting you on the other side,” Spain told her listeners.
A Demon in the Arena
The journalist’s critique moved beyond the aesthetic, touching on what she described as an almost spiritual level of discomfort. Despite her own lack of religious conviction, she reached for theological metaphors to explain the intensity of her reaction.
“I said, ‘I feel like I just looked at a demon,’ like the devil, and I don’t even believe in that,” Spain added. She emphasized that the presence of the Vice President and the restrictive nature of his security detail effectively “destroyed” the Olympic experience she had traveled to enjoy.
While political figures attending the Olympics is a tradition as old as the Games themselves, Spain’s account highlights the increasingly sharp domestic divide trailing American leaders abroad—even in the middle of a hockey arena in Italy.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are rarely without their logistical headaches, but for veteran journalist Sarah Spain, the intrusion of domestic politics into the athletic arena was more than just a nuisance—it was a visceral, physical violation. Continuing the account of her encounter with Vice President JD Vance on her podcast, Good Game, Spain described a deep-seated biological reaction to the VP’s presence that preceded any conscious thought.
“And I don’t even believe in that, but my body felt like when you’ve been spooked, and you have a little tingle that feels like, ‘ooh, something’s not right,’” Spain explained to her audience. “That’s what my body felt like. And I was in no way prepared to see him.”
A View Blocked by Security
While Team USA delivered a dominant performance on the ice, cruising to a 5-0 victory against Switzerland, Spain’s attention was diverted from the scoreboard to the literal barrier between her and the game. The journalist claimed her fury stemmed not just from the Vice President’s presence, but from the logistical footprint of the executive branch.
“It made me so angry,” she continued, citing the intrusive positioning of the security detail. “Not just because his f****** Secret Service were blocking half the ice… like, we’re trying to watch a hockey game. You ruined it.”
For Spain, the “whirlwind” of agents and earpieces effectively hijacked a moment of American sporting excellence, turning a high-stakes match into a restricted zone.
The Vice President’s Message of Unity
The friction in the stands stood in stark contrast to the message the Vice President had delivered to the athletes just days prior. As the head of the U.S. delegation at the opening ceremony, Vance had addressed members of Team USA with a call for national unity behind their efforts.
“I hope you just soak it all in. I hope you win as many medals as possible, but most of all, I just hope you enjoy the experience,” Vance told the athletes. “The whole country—Democrat, Republican, Independent—we’re all rooting for you, and we’re cheering for you, and we know you’re going to make us proud.”
While Vance’s public rhetoric emphasized a country standing together regardless of party lines, Spain’s experience suggests that on the ground in Milan, the political divide remains as palpable—and as sharp—as ever.