Vice President JD Vance endured an embarrassing moment on Monday as he dropped Ohio State’s national championship trophy to the ground while the team was being honored at the White House.
The Buckeyes’ football team visited Vance and President Trump in recognition of their national championship win over Notre Dame in January, and the VP – an Ohio State alum – was thrilled to welcome his alma mater to DC.
But the ceremony briefly went awry when Vance attempted to hoist the trophy in the air, as the base became detached from the top before he fumbled it to the floor in a surreal scene.
Vance rushed to pick it up before Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson tried to help him put the trophy back together.
However, Vance opted to simply hold the top of the trophy up while the base was left on a nearby table – with Trump holding a Buckeyes helmet at the same time.
The president could be seen grimacing nearby following Vance’s unfortunate moment.
JD Vance dropped the base of Ohio State’s national championship trophy on Monday
He rushed to scoop up up the trophy during the Buckeyes’ visit to the White House
President Donald Trump and Ohio State coach Ryan Day are seen reacting to Vance’s fumble
And opponents of the Trump administration used the gaffe as a chance to bash Vance online.
‘Everything this administration touches turns to s***e,’ one wrote on X.
‘So symbolic. Everything with Trump on it, falls apart,’ a second added.
‘Breaking the trophy just like Trump’s regime is breaking the country,’ a third said.
Following the accident, Vance took to X to try and play off his fumble of the trophy.
‘I didn’t want anyone after Ohio State to get the trophy so I decided to break it,’ he joked.
Trump also made a minor gaffe during the ceremony, as he accidentally referred to former Ohio State passer Will Howard as ‘Tennessee quarterback Will Howard’ when discussing Ohio State’s win over the Volunteers during the College Football Playoff.
Vance, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State in 2009 before attending Yale for law school, noticed someone in the crowd donning a hat representing the school’s arch-rival, Michigan.
The vice president called the fan out and even threatened to send the Secret Service their way.
‘I don’t know who let the guy over in the corner here in a Michigan hat into the celebration, but I’m about to tell the Secret Service you’ve got a dangerous weapon, sir,’ he cracked.
Vance ultimately held the trophy without the base, as it rested on a table nearby
Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson had tried to help Vance put the trophy back together
President Trump hosted Ohio State following their national championship win this season
‘I just wanna say, proud of this team, Mr. President, thank you for hosting and thanks to the whole state of Ohio for showing up and cheering for our Buckeyes,’ he continued. ‘God Bless you guys.’
Trump also spoke during the ceremony, and called Vance the ‘biggest [Buckeyes] fan of them all’ in his administration.
The Ohio State visit comes as Trump faces intense scrutiny over the deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old father of three with no criminal record who was mistakenly sent to a notorious megaprison in El Salvador last month.
The government previously said that Garcia, a Salvadorian national legally living in the US, was deported following an ‘administrative error,’ though the Trump administration has also alleged he is a member of the MS-13 gang.
Trump has also caused controversy with his recent wave of global tariffs, which caused the stock market to crash before he announced a 90-day pause on ‘reciprocal’ tariffs.
