JD Vance's Clowntastic Football Trophy Fumble Will Have Both Trump & Usha Cringing Hard

Vice President JD Vance has a complicated relationship with President Donald Trump and it shows no sign of becoming any less fraught. The "Hillbilly Elegy" author was once highly critical of the president, but his continuing attempts to prove himself worthy of Trump's trust fall short more often than not. Vance's latest flub was a fumble (literally) and yet another awkward moment for both him and POTUS. 

On April 14, Trump hosted Ohio State University's championship football team at the White House, where the players presented him with his own "47" jersey and a commemorative silver helmet. It should have been an especially sweet moment for Vance, who's a proud Buckeye himself. He gave a short speech congratulating the team and joking about an audience member who dared to wear a Michigan cap. But when he tried to pick up the enormous CFP National Championship Trophy for a photo-op, the gold trumpet-like body detached from the pedestal and the base tumbled to the ground. Luckily, running back TreVeyon Henderson was there to catch the top part (proving why his team won the championship!). The teammates tried to reattach the pieces with no success, while Vance was left smiling sheepishly with the partial trophy. 

Trump appeared to take the mishap in stride, but there were signs he wasn't pleased. The president famously loves being the center of attention and having his vice president steal focus in such an embarrassing way was a double error on Vance's part. Cameras caught Trump wincing ever so briefly as he watched, and he made no move to reassure Vance afterward. More chillingly, the president didn't even glance in his veep's direction as they shook hands with the players and exited the grounds. Eek. 

JD Vance tried to make light of his humiliating moment shortly after departing the White House. On X, formerly Twitter, he reposted a clip of his trophy disaster and joked, "I didn't want anyone after Ohio State to get the trophy so I decided to break it." Supporters praised his ability to laugh at himself and pointed out the trophy is actually meant to be separable. Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and Trump ally, quipped, "Was the trophy built in China?" Other commenters weren't as forgiving; there were multiple comparisons to the football trophy and the American economy. 

The bigger damage is to Vance's relationship not only with President Trump, but also his own wife. Second lady Usha Vance's life has changed considerably, even at this early stage of the new administration, and the stress of their new life in Washington seems to be taking its toll. Usha has admitted she and her husband don't get much time together, and the occasions when they've gone out publicly haven't been what you'd call romantic. When they attended a performance at the Kennedy Center, they were booed by audience members protesting the president's takeover of the venue. In March 2025, JD tried to present a united front by joining his wife on her cultural trip to Greenland. That, too, was a bust; citizens turned down their invites to drop by for home visits. Now Usha will have to console her humiliated hubby once again, and both of them will have to brace themselves for the inevitable roasting they're sure to get on "Saturday Night Live." (This might even rival SNL's "The White Lotus" parody of Trump.)