Vice President J.D. Vance has embarrassing trophy blunder during Ohio State's White House visit

Shane Shoemaker

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Vice President J.D. Vance has embarrassing trophy blunder during Ohio State's White House visit image

© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Monday, the Ohio State football team traveled to Washington, D.C., to be honored by President Donald Trump at the White House for their national championship.

It’s not unusual for sports champions to be invited to the White House to celebrate their accomplishments. What happened during this event, however, was anything but typical.

As the ceremony was being broadcast live and the team and White House staff were preparing for a group photo, Vice President J.D. Vance appeared to drop part of the Buckeyes’ national championship trophy.

“What did the vice president drop over there? Did anyone see that? Did he drop the trophy?” a NewsNation reporter asked on air.

When Vance attempted to hoist the trophy, it looked like the base detached and fell. The signature golden College Football Playoff piece remained secured in the hands of an Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson.

Ohio State earned its trip to the White House after capping off a dominant 2024 season with a win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship. It marked the Buckeyes' first national title since 2014.

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This moment will surely go down as one of the more unusual—if not comical—team celebrations in White House history.

Shane Shoemaker

Shane Shoemaker began his career as an editorial writer for ClutchPoints, covering college football, the NFL and MLB. His love for sports took off at age 5, when his dad began taking him all over the country to watch the Atlanta Braves and later, the Miami Hurricanes football team — fueling his passion for experiencing new stadiums. Although a lifelong Tennessean, he remains unaffiliated with local teams, even after writing for Vols Wire. Shane holds a BA in Communications/Journalism from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and never misses a chance to mention the Atlanta Braves’ 2021 World Series win.