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Trump Was One Of Several Figures Within His Administration To Tout Team USA’s Hockey Victory
Tied 1-1 after the 3rd period, Team USA’s men’s hockey team was in a prime position to join their female counterparts for a gold medal win over Canada… and they swiftly seized that opportunity, winning the game and extending Team USA’s record-breaking gold medal count.
Prior to the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, the record for Team USA was 10 gold medals, earned at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
At the 2026 games, which ended on Feb. 22, Team USA brought home 12 gold medals.
A victory like this at the Olympics is a significant point of pride for any nation, and many members of President Donald Trump‘s administration expressed their enthusiasm over the victory.
Responding to a post on X, formerly Twitter, praising the goalie on Team USA’s hockey team, Connor Hellebuyck, Sec. of War Pete Hegseth wrote, “Now we have a Secretary of War…and a Secretary of Defense!”
In attendance at the game was FBI Dir. Kash Patel, who could be seen celebrating in the stands.
After the medals had been distributed to the players, Patel was seen celebrating in their locker room, drinking beer and joining the team in singing Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” a moment which can be seen here:
A source sent me this video of FBI Director Kash Patel partying with the US Men’s Olympic Hockey team. pic.twitter.com/egjmdhOAF6
— William Turton (@WilliamTurton) February 22, 2026
That Patel was there at all, as well as celebrating with the team in that manner, has drawn some scrutiny, as an armed man was killed that morning by U.S. Secret Service on the grounds of Trump’s estate, Mar-a-Lago.
Responding to those critical of his attendance at the game, Patel wrote on X, “For the very concerned media – yes, I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys- Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth.”
Regardless, Trump utilized Patel’s presence at the game to relay an important message to the Team USA men’s hockey team: an invitation to Trump’s State of the Union address.
Watch Trump Speak On The Phone With Team USA’s Men’s Hockey Team
With Patel in the locker room of the Team USA men’s hockey team, President Trump called Patel and had him put the call on speaker for the freshly minted gold medalists.
“By the way, your goalie played not bad,” said Trump to the delight of the team, which can be seen cracking open a case of Coronas during their call with the president.
Patel then asked the goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, to say “hi” to the president, with Hellebuyck responding, “How ya doin’, Don?”
Continuing, Trump remarked, “I have seen hockey goalie’s have slightly worse games than you. It was unbelievable, and you were all unbelievable, and that team was pretty good that you played.”
Then, pivoting, Trump said, “You know, I’ll tell you what — I just told me people two minutes ago, I didn’t know they’d be calling — I said, ‘We’re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, I can send a military plane or something if you would like to — it’s the coolest night, the biggest speech–‘”
From there, the team resoundingly responded that they’d want to be at the State of the Union address, which will be held at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
This State of the Union address will be the first of Trump’s second term, following an address to a joint session of Congress which he delivered last March.
Now, with one year as the 47th president under his belt, Trump has several potentially challenging subjects to address in what is already shaping up to be a heated midterm year.
Between the controversial enforcement of immigration laws, as well as action and intervention in other nations — namely, Venezuela — Trump will have to make the argument to the American people that these efforts are in the nation’s best interest, and not at its expense.
Similarly, these remarks will be made days after the Supreme Court shot down his reciprocal tariff policy, which Trump countered by instating a 15% global tariff through powers permitted by the Trade Act of 1974.
This speech also comes as much of the East Coast of the United States is facing snowy weather, but Trump assured the men’s hockey team that weather wouldn’t prevent them from attending the speech, stating, “The nice thing about being president is, I can tell you, you don’t have to worry about the weather or landing … We don’t care if it’s snowing or the worst blizzard. We sail into that sucker just like you did on the ice today.”
Then, Trump revealed that he will have some special medals to give out to the Team USA men’s hockey team, as well as the women’s team, which he said would be distributed at the White House the following day, on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
If he didn’t invite the women’s team to the White House as well, Trump quipped, “I do believe I would probably be impeached, OK?”
Ending the call, Patel joked, “I’ll see you Tuesday night, Mr. President. I’m driving the bus, boss.”
Watch Trump invite Team USA’s men’s hockey team to the State of the Union address, here:
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 https://t.co/dofgDnMfKm
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 23, 2026
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