On Monday, during a celebration at the White House, Vice President JD Vance dropped Ohio State University’s national football championship trophy.
Vance, an Ohio State alumnus, attempted to lift the trophy, but it appeared to separate from its base as the vice president bobbled it in his hands.
With the Marine Corps Band’s rendition of Queen’s “We Are The Champions” still playing in the background, Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson, who stood next to Vance, quickly recovered the fumble.
Vance later dismissed the near-turnover, saying on X, “I didn’t want anyone after Ohio State to get the trophy, so I decided to break it.”
The moment occurred after Vance and President Trump spoke at the celebration, surrounded by Ohio State players and coaches. The Buckeyes won the title game 34-23 over Notre Dame on January 20, the same day as President Trump’s inauguration.
In a series of brief remarks, Mr. Trump congratulated the Buckeyes on their victory and praised Ohio in general, saying, “We won that state by a landslide.”
Vance praised the team while also criticizing Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. The two agreed to a friendly wager on an Ohio State-University of Texas playoff game earlier this year, with the loser agreeing to wear the winning team’s jersey and deliver food and beer from their home state — a bet Vance claims Cruz has “still not paid up on.”
“I don’t like losing any bet, but I really don’t want to lose a bet to Ted Cruz,” says Vance.
Vance, an Ohio native who earned a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State before attending Yale Law School, also chastised an audience member for wearing a hat representing Ohio’s archrival, the University of Michigan. “I’m about to tell the Secret Service he’s got a dangerous weapon,” Vance joked.