US Hockey Star Condemns White House Over Fake AI Video
Team USA ice hockey player Brady Tkachuk has publicly criticised the White House for sharing a fabricated video that falsely depicts him insulting Canada. The incident follows the United States' dramatic overtime victory against Canada in the men's gold medal match at the Winter Olympics.
Olympic Champion Takes a Stand
The Ottawa Senators captain, aged 26, attended Donald Trump's State of the Union address alongside his triumphant teammates after returning from Italy. The team also visited the Oval Office during their customary White House tour, an honour typically extended to successful American squads.
However, Tkachuk expressed strong disapproval of a TikTok video posted by the Trump administration. The clip, which has amassed over 11 million views, uses AI-generated media to show Tkachuk stating: "Canada booed our national anthem, so I had to come out and teach those maple-syrup-eating f***s a lesson."
"Clearly Fake" Says Tkachuk
Addressing the post on Thursday, Tkachuk was unequivocal: "Well, it's clearly fake. Because it's not my voice, not my lips moving." He emphasised that the original footage was from an interview with his brother and teammate Matthew, conducted after a 4 Nations Face-Off match in February 2025.
The left winger, who is of Ukrainian descent with Irish ancestry, further clarified: "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."
"It's not my voice, it's not what I was saying, I would never say that. That's not who I am," Tkachuk reiterated, highlighting his discomfort with the misrepresentation.
Denial of Border Shout Allegations
Tkachuk also firmly denied shouting "Close the northern border!" during Trump's post-final address to the team. This is particularly significant as he plays professionally north of that border for the NHL's Ottawa Senators in Canada's capital city.
Responding to social media speculation, Tkachuk stated: "I've been seeing stuff that people think it's me. But if you watch the video, that's not my voice. It's something that I'd never say. I don't really know how that kind of took a storm on its own when I play here in Ottawa and give everything I have here."
Context of Team Dynamics
The controversy unfolds against a backdrop of differing team responses to White House invitations. While the men's team accepted, the gold-medal-winning women's team declined due to 'conflicting commitments,' following a previously reported controversial phone call with Trump.
During the same Oval Office call, Trump joked about being compelled to invite the women's team, claiming he "probably would be impeached" if he did not, which elicited laughter from the players. When questioned about this reaction, Tkachuk explained: "Honestly, it was just a whirlwind of a moment that you can't really control what somebody says, and it's just caught me off guard a little bit."
Women's team captain Hilary Knight described Trump's comment as "distasteful and unfortunate," a sentiment Tkachuk understood, noting: "I mean, I get it. We support them, they support us. You can't control what other people say."
The situation underscores the rapid spread of misinformation on social media and the challenges public figures face in managing their digital personas. Tkachuk reflected: "It's crazy when things go on social media, how fast they go. And, of course, I would never say anything like that."
