U.S. Foreign Policy and Diplomacy

The White House has announced that Vice President JD Vance will lead the official U.S. delegation to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy and attend the Feb. 6 opening ceremony, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, second lady Usha Vance, U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta and several American Olympic gold medalists joining him. President Donald Trump is not listed as part of the delegation, meaning the U.S. will be represented at the ceremony by his vice president and top diplomat rather than by the president himself. The Milan Cortina Games will stage a historic multi-site Parade of Nations, with flagbearers and athletes appearing not only in Milan’s San Siro stadium but also in the mountain venues of Cortina, Predazzo and Livigno. The athlete delegates named so far include 2018 women’s hockey gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, 2010 men’s figure skating champion Evan Lysacek and two-time short track gold medalist Apolo Ohno. The composition of the delegation and Trump’s absence will be read in diplomatic circles and at home as a signal of how the administration is calibrating its visibility and priorities on the global stage heading into a contentious election-cycle year.