In the winding, ancient streets of Milan, where the 2026 Winter Olympics are currently unfolding, that geometry has failed spectacularly. The arrival of Vice President JD Vance has brought not just the expected diplomatic fanfare but also a logistical footprint so heavy that it has reportedly threatened the competitive chances of the very athletes he arrived to support.
The sheer scale of the operation—a reported phalanx of Chevy Suburbans trying to squeeze through Italian thoroughfares designed for Fiats and Vespas—set the stage for a weekend of friction. But while the traffic jams were real, it was a viral rumour of a “flying larder” that truly captured the absurdity of the moment.
Before the internet began dissecting the contents of his cargo hold, Vice President JD Vance’s presence was already being felt on the ground, and not in the way the State Department might have hoped. The Mirror US reported that the American security apparatus is visibly, painfully out of place in Milan. When you deploy armoured vehicles to a delicate European city during a massive sporting event, the disruption is immediate.
Reports from the ground indicate that the motorcade, comprising dozens of large SUVs, struggled to navigate the narrow urban arteries. The result was gridlock that not only inconvenienced locals but also actively interfered with the Games themselves.
Dear World,
For those of you who loudly BOOED JD Vance at the Olympics, we THANK YOU for your support. 💙🇺🇸
Love,
Americans who can’t stand JD Vance pic.twitter.com/Gfsr46aYrc
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) February 6, 2026
The most damning indictment of this security sprawl came from the frantic camp of US figure skater Alysa Liu. In a scenario that reads like a dark satire of bureaucratic interference, the very motorcade intended to ferry the dignitary through the city reportedly brought local traffic to a standstill, trapping Liu’s team in the crush.
Phillip DiGuglielmo, Liu’s coach, offered a harrowing account to The Washington Post, revealing that the skater “almost didn’t make it” to the venue. Consider the irony: a young athlete trains for four years for a singular moment on the ice, only to nearly forfeit her chance because the official cheerleader’s security detail blocked the road.
Liu reportedly had barely enough time to scramble into her costume before stepping onto the ice. While she managed to salvage a second-place finish in the short program behind Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto, one has to wonder if the unnecessary adrenaline spike cost her the gold. It is a stark reminder that in the orbit of high-level politics, everyone else—even an Olympian—is merely traffic.
On a weekend when JD Vance was mercilessly booed, and trump is hiding from boos, a reminder that President Obama gets cheered wherever he goes.
Exactly as it should be. pic.twitter.com/fBRBM2ji8S
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) February 7, 2026
Amidst the anger over the traffic chaos, the online rumour mill spun into overdrive. Social media posts began circulating a claim that Vice Presidential JD Vance’s delegation was not merely bloated, but gluttonous. The allegations suggested a fleet of 14 aircraft was supporting the trip, with one plane dedicated exclusively to transporting food supplies across the Atlantic.
The image of a Boeing loaded with American snacks trailing Vice President JD Vance to the culinary capital of the world is admittedly amusing. It speaks to a certain caricature of American insularity that Europeans love to loathe. However, in this case, JD Vance’s office has issued a firm denial.
Responding to inquiries from Mirror US, a spokesperson branded the claims “ridiculous and categorically false.” The reality, they insisted, was far more pedestrian: “Vice President Vance and the Second Family ate food provided at official events, their hotel, and at local restaurants during their visit.”
While the “food plane” appears to be a fabrication, the kernel of truth that allowed the rumour to take root is undeniable: JD Vance’s trip has struck a nerve. The public verdict on this disruption was delivered swiftly and publicly inside the stadium.
BREAKING: In a stunning moment, JD Vance was just booed relentlessly at the Olympics. Wow. The Trump-Vance admin is humiliating us on the world stage. pic.twitter.com/06ryMvehDH
— Democratic Wins Media (@DemocraticWins) February 6, 2026
During the opening ceremony on Friday, as JD Vance stood with his wife, Usha Vance, holding the American flag, the customary applause was pierced by audible jeers. The booing was not just political; it felt like a visceral reaction from a city tired of being pushed around by a motorcade that simply doesn’t fit.
