Tag: JD Vance

A federal grand jury has indicted a 33-year-old Ohio man for allegedly threatening to kill United States Vice President JD Vance during the official’s visit to the state in January. The Justice Department announced the charges against Shannon Mathre of Toledo on Friday, February 6. According to the department’s statement, Mathre is accused of “making a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon” the Vice President. The indictment alleges that Mathre stated, “I’m going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.” The location where the comment was made was not specified. U.S. Secret Service agents arrested Mathre on Friday. During the investigation into the alleged threat, authorities also reported finding “multiple digital files of child sexual abuse materials” in Mathre’s possession. This is the latest security incident involving Vice President Vance. In early January, a separate individual allegedly attempted to break into Vance’s Ohio home by hammering on windows while the Vice President and his family were away. A 26-year-old man was taken into custody in connection with that event. Mathre made his initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Ohio on Friday. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for February 11.

United States Vice President J.D. Vance was met with loud boos and jeers on Friday night after appearing on the jumbotron during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, were shown standing and waving American flags inside the San Siro Stadium as Team USA was being introduced to the crowd. According to NBC’s broadcast commentary, the reaction from spectators included audible hissing directed at the Vice President. While cheers followed shortly afterward, commentators noted that the applause appeared to be aimed at the American athletes rather than the political figure, underscoring the clear distinction in audience sentiment. The moment highlighted the political tensions that briefly intruded on the celebratory sporting atmosphere. The incident came days after Vance attended an Olympic ice hockey match in Milan alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and two Olympic gold medal-winning hockey sisters. Both Vance and Rubio are widely viewed as potential contenders for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, adding further political weight to their presence at the Games. Olympics organisers had reportedly anticipated political reactions during the ceremony. The appearance of Israel’s delegation also drew boos from sections of the crowd, reflecting broader global tensions surrounding the event. Vance’s visit has additionally coincided with rumours circulating in Italy about the alleged presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents operating during the Games. Italy’s Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, moved to shut down the speculation, telling the Chamber of Deputies that ICE would not conduct any law enforcement operations on Italian soil. “ICE does not and will never be able to carry out operational police activities on our national territory,” Piantedosi said, clarifying that any ICE personnel present would be restricted to information sharing and analysis in collaboration with Italian authorities. Meanwhile, Team USA has arrived at the Milano Cortina Games with a record-breaking delegation of 232 athletes, marking the largest American contingent ever sent to a Winter Olympics.