Sarah Spain said she felt physically “ill” sitting near Vice President J.D. Vance while attending a women’s hockey game at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
Spain described the encounter on her podcast, “Good Game with Sarah Spain,” recounting how security surrounded her section during the matchup between the U.S. and Czechia.
“Twelve minutes into the first period, that area suddenly is awash with large men in suits with earpieces,” she said. “And here comes JD Vance carrying a child and a bunch of security, and eventually Marco Rubio.”
She then launched into a sharply worded reaction. “When I see JD Vance’s eyeliner face, I literally feel ill, like a basilisk had looked you in the eye and death was awaiting you on the other side,” Spain said.
She added, “I don’t even believe in that, but my body felt like when you’ve been spooked and you have a little tingle that feels like, ‘ooh, something’s not right.’”
Spain also criticized the Secret Service presence, claiming agents were “blocking half the ice” during the game.
At a later matchup between the U.S. and Canada, she again spotted Vance, this time alongside influencer and boxer Jake Paul.
“[Vance] brought a little demon friend, Jake Paul. Talk about only the finest people representing America,” she said.
Spain’s frustration extended beyond the arena. She tied her reaction to Vance’s comments about Alex Pretti, a protester in Minneapolis who was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents in January.
She accused Vance of “slandering a dead man” after he reposted a statement from White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller describing Pretti as “an assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents.”
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Vance declined to apologize to Pretti’s family. “For what?” he said when asked.
“If something is determined that the guy who shot Alex Pretti did something bad, then a lot of consequences are going to flow from that,” Vance added. “We’ll let that happen. I don’t think it’s smart to prejudge the investigation.”
Spain has previously been outspoken about politics and sports culture. Last year, she criticized comedian Shane Gillis for jokes made during the ESPYs that targeted female athletes and the WNBA, per the Daily Mail.
Her latest remarks about Vance have generated backlash online, with critics accusing her of turning a sporting event into a political spectacle.
Supporters argue she has a right to express discomfort and disagreement with elected officials.
The episode highlights the growing intersection of sports, politics, and media personalities, particularly at high-profile international events like the Olympics.
Vance’s attendance at the games drew attention beyond policy debates, underscoring how political figures increasingly occupy spaces once considered neutral cultural ground.
