Overview
- On her Good Game podcast, the former ESPN host said sitting about 20 feet from Vice President J.D. Vance at a U.S. women’s hockey match made her feel ill and that he felt like a “demon,” also complaining that security and photographers blocked views of the ice.
- Spain linked her anger to Vance’s comments about the disputed Alex Pretti case, accusing him of slandering a dead man while acknowledging she was offering her own account of a contested incident.
- Conservative and right-leaning outlets amplified and criticized the remarks, highlighting her language and her description of Secret Service and photographers turning attention to the delegation.
- Subsequent Bluesky posts from Spain referenced backlash and described a “pedophile-protecting” person without naming Vance, a characterization reported by OutKick, which said she did not respond to a request for clarification.
- Reports did not note an apology or official response from Vance; he attended the game with his wife Usha and their children while Marco Rubio helped lead the U.S. delegation at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games.