Trump Invites U.S. Men’s Hockey Team to State of the Union

President Donald Trump reached out to the U.S. men’s hockey team following their gold medal win at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, inviting them to his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

In a celebratory locker room moment, FBI Director Kash Patel joined in the excitement, as players were put on speakerphone to chat with the president. Trump seemed surprised, commenting, “I didn’t know you were going to call the nation two minutes ago and say I was going to give the State of the Union.”

He added, “We could send a military plane or something, but if you want, it’s the coolest night, the biggest speech…” One player quickly responded, “We’re in.”

Continuing the playful banter, Trump reassured them: “We’re going to get Kash, and we’re going to send the military to get you. We don’t have to worry about the weather—or landing. Snow or blizzard? No problem, we’ll sail like we did on the ice.”

During the call, Trump promised that he would be awarding medals to the team the following day, and he mentioned including the women’s team as well.

He specifically praised goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for his performance, noting, “Your goalie play wasn’t bad, by the way. I’ve seen hockey goalies play a little worse. It was unbelievable, and you guys were unbelievable.”

The team seemed genuinely excited about the invitation and looked forward to the opportunity to attend the address in Washington, D.C.