JD Vance fumbles Ohio State’s national title trophy during White House visit

JD Vance, the man entrusted as America’s back-up in times of emergency, may not be the safest pair of hands if Monday’s events are anything to go by. The vice-president ended the Ohio State football team’s visit to the White House by fumbling the team’s national championship trophy.

After laudatory speeches by Donald Trump, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day and Vance on the South Lawn, the Vance – an Ohio State graduate – tried to lift the trophy. He didn’t appear to realize that the top of the trophy is detachable from its base. After a moment of struggle, the vice-president lost his grip on the two pieces. OSU running back TreVeyon Henderson, standing behind Vance, grabbed the football-shaped top of the trophy, but the base fell to the ground, forcing Vance to grasp around as it rolled away from him.

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Some of the players around the vice-president winced. The United States Marine Corps Band, which performs at presidential events, had to compete with audible gasps from the players and crowd as it played We Are the Champions.

Henderson and Day helped Vance reassemble the trophy, and he later held just the top, cradling it in his arms while the players around him chuckled.

As pictures and videos of Vance’s fumble spread across the internet, the vice-president tried to explain away the gaffe with self-deprecation: “I didn’t want anyone after Ohio State to get the trophy so I decided to break it,” he wrote on X.

Teams who have won a major championship have traditionally been invited to the White House to celebrate their victory with the president. However, during Trump’s first term several teams were not invited or made it clear they would not attend if they were. Those teams included the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and the United States women’s national team after their victory at the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Teams have been more willing to engage with the White House during Trump’s second term though. The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles have accepted an invitation to visit the president, while Trump praised Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani’s “movie star” looks during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ visit to the White House earlier this month to celebrate their World Series win in 2024.

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