Booed at the Olympics
The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opened on February 6, and the scandals started before the first medal was awarded. Vice President JD Vance was booed when his face appeared on the arena's big screen. The Israeli bobsled team had their apartment robbed, losing passports and thousands of dollars of equipment. And somewhere behind the scenes, the Epstein files cast a shadow over the organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The Vance Moment
During the opening ceremony, the broadcast showed Vance and his wife Usha among the dignitaries. A Canadian broadcaster noted the "lot of boos" and "whistling and jeering" from the crowd, mixed with scattered applause.
This was Italy. An international audience. And the second most powerful man in the United States was met with audible contempt. The moment went viral within minutes, trending on X and TikTok as clips circulated.
The White House did not comment on the reception.
The Israeli Bobsled Team Robbery
The Israeli bobsled team reported that their training apartment in Italy had been broken into. Missing items included passports and "thousands of dollars" worth of sporting equipment. Italian police opened an investigation.
The timing is notable. Security concerns around Israeli athletes at international competitions have been elevated since the October 2023 conflict. Whether the robbery was targeted or opportunistic remains under investigation.
Newsweek: 6 Biggest Controversies at the Winter Olympics So Far
The Epstein Shadow
As the Games opened in Milan, NPR reported that one of the top organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics faced calls to step aside after his emails appeared in the latest tranche of Epstein documents released by the Department of Justice. The DOJ's ongoing release of Epstein files has already implicated communications between the late financier and figures including Bill Gates and Elon Musk.
NPR: Behind the Glitz in Milan, the Epstein Scandal Casts Its Shadow
And Then There Were the Genitals
In what may be the strangest scandal of the Games, athletes in certain winter sports were accused of injecting an acid serum into their genital area. The theory: artificially enlarging the crotch surface area in their skinsuits gives greater aerodynamic lift during jumping events. Officials have opened an investigation.
The 2026 Olympics are two weeks old. At this rate, they will need their own scandal index by the closing ceremony.