MILAN — Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio watched the U.S. women’s hockey team play the Czech Republic on Thursday, the first stop on their planned visit to the Olympics opening ceremony Friday night.
Rubio sat in the third row off the ice and Vance sat in the fourth row, both cheering when the U.S. took an early lead.
Vice President J.D. Vance (center), his children Mirabel and Ivan and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) attend the 2026 Winter Olympics women’s ice hockey Group A qualifying match between the United States and the Czech Republic in Milan on February 5, 2026. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)
(Alexander Nemenov via Getty Images)
At the opening, Vance’s delegation is expected to include Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta. The U.S. delegation also includes U.S. gold medalists including figure skater Evan Lysacek, hockey players Jocelyn Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, and speed skater Apollo Honor.
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After the Olympics, Vance will travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan to try to broker peace agreements.
Vance’s arrival in Italy comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are present at the Olympics and protests are ongoing and planned. However, Italian Minister Matteo Piantedosi told the Italian Parliament earlier this week that only agents from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit, which investigates cross-border crimes, would be in Milan. Nicole Dill, chief security officer for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said Thursday morning that ICE agents will be “clear” that there will be no contact with the delegation of U.S. athletes.
There is a long tradition of vice presidents and other dignitaries representing the United States at the Summer and Winter Olympics. Former Vice President Joe Biden attended the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and former Vice President Mike Pence represented the United States at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics opening ceremony. Then-First Lady Jill Biden attended the 2024 Paris Olympics, including participating in the women’s water polo competition with Flavor Flav. The United States did not send then-Vice President Kamala Harris or any other representative to China in 2022 as a diplomatic protest against China’s human rights violations.
