The Cincinnati Bengals said they were honored to host Vice President JD Vance at practice on Tuesday, October 21, during his trip to Greater Cincinnati. The team issued the statement on Wednesday, October 22, after video from the visit circulated widely online and drew attention to how players interacted with Vance on the field.
An 18-second video that spread online showed a line of Bengals players walking past Vance, with many appearing not to acknowledge him as they passed. In the same clip, tight end Drew Sample stopped to shake Vance’s hand. The short video was shared widely and became the focus of much of the public discussion about the visit.
Other footage from the visit showed additional interaction. A Cincinnati Enquirer video showed Vance greeting head coach Zac Taylor at practice. In a separate video posted by Vance communications director Taylor Van Kirk, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase complimented the gloves worn by Vance’s son, Vivek, during their exchange at the practice facility.
A post on Vance’s official Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon, at about 3:30 p.m., showed more scenes from the visit. The post included images of Vance shaking hands and interacting with players including Sample and cornerback DJ Ivey. Another photo showed defensive tackle B.J. Hill shaking hands with Vance’s son during the visit to practice.
Bengals director of communications Emily Parker said the team “were honored to welcome Vice President JD Vance to practice.” Parker said, “This visit was consistent with and aligns with the club’s longstanding practice of welcoming public officials from all political parties to team practices,” according to the statement provided to the Enquirer.
A Vance spokesperson did not respond to questions from the Cincinnati Enquirer about the viral video, according to the newspaper’s reporting on Wednesday. The Enquirer sought comment on the clip and on the differing impressions created by the short video and the longer footage and photos released from the same visit.
The differing videos present two views of the same practice visit — the brief clip showing players walking past, and the additional footage and photos showing handshakes and conversations with the head coach and several players. The Bengals statement did not address the viral video directly, and focused instead on the team’s practice of hosting public officials at practice.
Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0