During her first solo international trip, Second Lady Usha Vance abruptly cancelled several events over the weekend, citing “jet lag” as one of the reasons.
Vance led the American delegation to Turin, Italy, for the 2025 Special Olympic Games opening ceremonies over the weekend. Wearing a USA scarf, she walked into the arena clutching the hand of her 7-year-old son, who appeared quite dejected, while his mother, happy to represent the Trump-Vance administration, grinned broadly.
1. Vance, representing the Trump-Vance administration, led the U.S. delegation at the 2025 Special Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, but things took an unexpected turn. pic.twitter.com/cETRAxGx78
— Dr. CZ (@AngelMD1103) March 11, 2025
However, things rapidly turned tense when the organizers brought up this year’s games’ theme—inclusion—which her husband has fought for throughout his political career. During his tenure in the Senate, Vice President JD Vance even wrote a measure called the “Dismantle DEI Act.”
To ensure that everyone was aware, the former senator even released a statement in which he described DEI as “a destructive ideology that breeds hatred and racial division.” His wife was now made to sit through the mayor of Turin’s endless speeches about how sports can “promote inclusion, openness, and growth.”
Vance was supposed to attend a banquet at the Automobile Museum on Saturday after the opening ceremony, but he did not attend. Alessandra Locatelli, the Italian Minister for Disabilities, was also scheduled to participate in the event but decided to join in another one instead.
A planned visit to the Egyptian Museum was also postponed by the Second Lady, who gave the excuse of “Jet lag issues.”
Given that both her husband and President Donald Trump have made derogatory remarks about persons with disabilities on numerous occasions, Vance’s attendance at the Special Olympics seems entirely pointless. During the campaign in October, Trump allegedly called then-Vice President Kamala Harris “retarded.”
Timothy Shriver, chair of the Special Olympics Board, responded to that report on Facebook. He wrote: “For the straightforward reason that it hurts, exceptional Olympic athletes have spearheaded an effort to urge others to stop using the R-word. It isn’t very comfortable. It dehumanizes people. It is impossible to determine whether Vance has ever privately voiced dissatisfaction with these comments but has never made any public statements.
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Vance has not publicly addressed the remarks despite privately expressing concern. This begs the question: Would Vance simply nod and smile if her seven-year-old used that phrase on the playground? Or would she tell him that disabled people should be supported, not made fun of?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion were the cornerstones upon which the Special Olympics were founded in 1968 by devoted Democrats Sargent and Eunice (Kennedy) Shriver. At one point, the pounding became so loud that it appeared the speakers were speaking to a single person. It’s possible that they anticipated the event would make the second lady a courageous ally who would use her power to stop the administration’s attacks on disabled people. Or perhaps there was only one large troll.
On Monday, Vance is expected to return to the United States.
