US Vice President JD Vance was met with a chorus of boos during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan, but American viewers watching NBC's broadcast would have been unaware of the reception.
Footage showed people whistling, jeering and even applauding as Vance and his wife walked into the stadium, but on NBC's coverage the reaction was completely absent.
The omission became apparent when Canadian broadcaster CBC shared the footage online, with one commentator remarking that Vance received a hostile welcome from the crowd. However, in the US, it seems Vance's presence went largely unnoticed by NBC's viewers.
This incident comes as the White House has sought to limit the public's view of dissent against the Trump administration during major events. In September, organizers of the US Open asked broadcasters not to show the crowd's reaction to President Trump's attendance.
The move is part of a broader effort to shield the public from negative reactions to the current administration, following a similar request made by the state department at the Olympics. The department said that several federal agencies, including ICE, would be present at the Games to protect visiting Americans.
One athlete who did not mince words about their feelings towards the US government was freestyle skier Hunter Hess, who stated that he had mixed emotions about representing the country in these uncertain times.
The incident also highlights the sensitivity surrounding public figures like Vance and President Trump, with athletes and protesters alike navigating a delicate balance between patriotism and personal conviction.
As for Vance himself, his attendance at the Olympics has sparked controversy, particularly following US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents' presence at the event. The US state department said that the ICE unit in Italy is separate from those involved in the immigration crackdown in the United States.
In another awkward moment during the ceremony, athletes representing Israel were met with both cheers and boos from the crowd.
Footage showed people whistling, jeering and even applauding as Vance and his wife walked into the stadium, but on NBC's coverage the reaction was completely absent.
The omission became apparent when Canadian broadcaster CBC shared the footage online, with one commentator remarking that Vance received a hostile welcome from the crowd. However, in the US, it seems Vance's presence went largely unnoticed by NBC's viewers.
This incident comes as the White House has sought to limit the public's view of dissent against the Trump administration during major events. In September, organizers of the US Open asked broadcasters not to show the crowd's reaction to President Trump's attendance.
The move is part of a broader effort to shield the public from negative reactions to the current administration, following a similar request made by the state department at the Olympics. The department said that several federal agencies, including ICE, would be present at the Games to protect visiting Americans.
One athlete who did not mince words about their feelings towards the US government was freestyle skier Hunter Hess, who stated that he had mixed emotions about representing the country in these uncertain times.
The incident also highlights the sensitivity surrounding public figures like Vance and President Trump, with athletes and protesters alike navigating a delicate balance between patriotism and personal conviction.
As for Vance himself, his attendance at the Olympics has sparked controversy, particularly following US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents' presence at the event. The US state department said that the ICE unit in Italy is separate from those involved in the immigration crackdown in the United States.
In another awkward moment during the ceremony, athletes representing Israel were met with both cheers and boos from the crowd.
... seems like they're really trying to whitewash things for the Trump admin 
. I mean, it's not like they were being super rude or anything, just a bunch of whistling and jeering... but apparently that's too much for the network to handle 
. And now everyone's all about shielding public figures from dissent? It feels like we're living in a dystopian show where everyone has to toe the line 
. The whole thing with ICE agents at the Olympics just adds fuel to the fire 
... seems like the US government is getting more and more aggressive by the day 
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. I mean, you'd think NBC would show it on their broadcast or something but nope, just total blackout 
. It's like they're trying to control what people see and hear when it comes to certain politicians or events. Can't have the public get all riled up, right? 
I get why they might not want to air it in the US, but isn't transparency kinda important? It's like when you're watching a sports game and someone gets booed - you wanna see it happen, even if it's not always easy to watch. And yeah, I can see why the White House might be trying to control what we see, but sometimes it feels like they're just whitewashing stuff... 
Still, athletes like Hunter Hess are speaking their minds about how they feel about being part of this whole situation. 
It's a tricky balance between loyalty and conviction, for sure... 
they're like, "hey don't show us what's really going on"! I mean, back in my day we'd have a live feed of everything that was happening at the Olympics and it would be totally unfiltered too. It's not just the US government that's trying to control the narrative, it's also about shielding their public figures from criticism... JD Vance gets booed but you can't see it on TV? What's up with that?! 
& now we know why there was a request to keep ppl quiet at the us open too 
meanwhile hunter hess spoke truth tho 
. And what's with the ICE agents showing up? It's like, come on! We know what's going on in this country, let's not pretend like everything is okay 
. Can't we just have a real conversation about what's going on in our country?