Sports journalist Sarah Spain sparked backlash after recounting her reaction to Vice President JD Vance attending a women’s hockey game at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Speaking on her podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain, Spain detailed how Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived roughly 12 minutes into the first period of a matchup between Team USA and Czechia.

Spain described a heightened security presence, noting that media seating was suddenly “awash with large men in suits, with earpieces,” as Vance entered carrying a child, followed by Rubio and others.

But rather than focusing on the game or the diplomatic significance of senior U.S. officials attending an international sporting event, Spain launched into a personal attack.

“When I see JD Vance’s eyeliner face, I literally feel ill,” she said, later adding that seeing him made her feel as though she had “just looked at a demon.”

She compared the moment to sensing that “something dangerous” was present, describing a physical reaction that she associated with fear or unease.

The remarks drew criticism online, with many questioning the professionalism of likening an elected official to a supernatural evil figure based solely on political disagreement. Critics argue that such rhetoric reflects the kind of dehumanizing language often condemned when directed at figures on the left.

After the comments circulated, Spain posted a video to the social media platform Bluesky defending herself and suggesting she was being targeted for criticizing what she characterized as objectionable policies.

The episode underscores the increasingly personal and inflammatory tone that has crept into political discourse, even in spaces ostensibly devoted to sports, as partisan hostility continues to spill beyond Washington and into cultural institutions.