USA Hockey Star Brady Tkachuk Slams White House AI-Doctored Video
Team USA hockey star Brady Tkachuk has expressed fury over an AI-doctored video released by the White House that falsely suggests he made a vile comment about Canadians. The Ottawa Senators captain, who helped America secure a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Italy with a dramatic overtime victory over Canada, became the subject of a TikTok video shared by the White House that was altered using artificial intelligence.
Fake Video Sparks Controversy
The clip, which has amassed over 11 million views on TikTok, was manipulated to make it appear as though Tkachuk said after Sunday's win: 'They booed our national anthem, so I had to come out and teach those maple syrup eating f***s a lesson.' Tkachuk firmly denied the authenticity of the video, stating on Thursday: 'Well, it's clearly fake, because it's not my voice, not my lips moving. I'm not in control of any of those accounts. I know that those words would never come out of my mouth. So, I can't do anything about it.'
When asked if he enjoyed the video, Tkachuk added: 'It's not my voice. It's not what I was saying. I would never say that. That's not who I am, so I guess I don't like that video because that would never come out of my mouth and never had that thought.' The incident occurred as Tkachuk and his national teammates visited Donald Trump's State of the Union speech and the White House this week to celebrate their Olympic achievement.
Trump's Comments Add to Drama
Donald Trump also sparked controversy after footage of his phone call with the victorious men's team surfaced on social media. While congratulating them on capturing gold, the president joked that he was also 'going to have to bring the women's team' to Washington after they too defeated Canada in the final. He then added that he 'probably would be impeached' if he didn't extend the invitation to America's female hockey champions.
The women's team subsequently turned down Trump's invitation due to 'scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games.' Tkachuk said he understood why they could have felt insulted by his locker-room joke, which some have labeled misogynistic. 'I mean, I get it,' he said before detailing the positive relationship between the men's and women's teams. 'We support them, they support us. You can't control what other people say. It was fun being around them, seeing how they play and the excellence around them.'
Further Accusations and Responses
Tkachuk was also accused by some of shouting 'Close the northern border!' during the congratulatory call with Trump, but he stressed: 'It's crazy when things go on social media, how fast they go. I would never say anything like that.' Despite the women's team rejecting his first invitation, during his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, Trump announced that the USA women's team will still be visiting the White House at a later date. 'They beat a fantastic Canadian team in overtime, as everybody saw. As did the American women who will soon be coming to the White House,' he told a filled chamber of Congress.
Reflecting on the overall experience, Tkachuk emphasized focusing on the positive aspects: 'If I see one of them, we'll talk about the excitement of what we can control, which is to be gold medalists.' The series of events highlights the rapid spread of misinformation through social media and the challenges public figures face in managing their digital reputations.
