The United States made history by sweeping the hockey gold medals at the Winter Olympics for the first time, beating Canada 2-1 in overtime in both the men's and women's tournaments. However, the celebrations quickly became entangled in political controversy.
The women's team largely avoided politics, with captain Hilary Knight stating they aim to inspire through sport. They declined an invitation to the White House, citing travel logistics, and did not receive a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump. Vice President JD Vance attended some of their games.
The men's team received a call from President Trump, who invited them to his State of the Union address and joked about inviting the women's team only to avoid impeachment—a comment that drew laughter from some players, later deemed “distasteful” by Knight. The men attended the White House on Tuesday and were cheered at the Capitol during the speech.
A doctored TikTok video appeared on the White House account featuring US player Brady Tkachuk apparently disparaging Canadians. Tkachuk denied making the remarks and said the post contained AI-generated media. The men's team has since returned to NHL action, while the women's professional league resumed on Thursday.
