JD Vance's Trophy Blunder Leaves Fans Cheering and Cringing
Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance in Greenland, 2025. Photo courtesy of The Office of Vice President of the United States. Public domain.
There are football fumbles on the gridiron — and then there's whatever just happened on the South Lawn.
In a moment that quickly rocketed across social media feeds faster than a Will Howard spiral, Vice President J.D. Vance, proud Ohio native and Buckeye superfan, dropped the College Football Playoff National Championship trophy while presenting it to the Ohio State football team at the White House.
That's right: the golden, gleaming, 35-pound icon of collegiate football glory hit the turf after Vance tried to hand it off like a pigskin.
To be fair, it was more of a bobble than a full-on spike — but the audible gasp from the crowd said it all.
Yale Law Brain, Buckeye Heart, Butterfinger Hands
The moment unfolded during a celebratory event honoring Ohio State's 34–23 victory over Notre Dame in the January title game. After remarks from President Trump and OSU head coach Ryan Day, Vance shared a few words reported by Fox News, saying, "You guys were resilient. You were tough. You represented the state of Ohio well. You represented the whole country well."
Then, it was time for photos. That's when Vance, an alumni of Ohio State and a man not typically known for his ball-handling skills, tried to pass the trophy to star running back TreVeyon Henderson. Unfortunately, Vance gripped the trophy's base — not realizing it was detachable — while Henderson held the upper part. The result? The base plummeting and clunking on the ground.
Was it a comedy of errors? Sure. A potential metaphor? Debatable. But mostly, it was just peak Vance — the everyman VP trying to play ball, literally, and proving once again he's better with Senate votes than sideline passes.
Everyone's Laughing — Including Vance
To his credit, Vance didn't just laugh off the moment — he leaned into it. "I didn't want anyone after Ohio State to get the trophy so I decided to break it," he posted on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the clip went viral, according to PEOPLE.
And the Buckeyes seemed unfazed. Coach Day and Henderson helped steady the situation, and Vance went right back to posing with the team — half of the trophy in hand, the other half resting nearby like a disassembled action figure.
Of course, it wouldn't be an Ohio State celebration without a little Michigan shade. Vance, spotting a spectator in a Wolverines hat, quipped, according to PEOPLE, "I don't know who let the guy over in the corner here in a Michigan hat into this celebration. But I'm about to tell the Secret Service you've got a dangerous weapon."
He's a Vice President who can crack a joke and crack a trophy. Not necessarily in that order.
The Internet Reacts — Of Course
Predictably, the memes poured in.
Still, the good-natured jabs were just that — good-natured. Nobody's calling for a replay review. Nobody's blaming the turf. It was a very human moment from the second-most powerful person in the United States — and in today's political climate, that's refreshing.
References: J.D. Vance Drops College Football Championship Trophy During White House Meet and Greet | JD Vance nearly fumbles Ohio State's national championship trophy during White House visit | Vice President JD Vance fumbles Ohio State football team's national championship trophy
