President Donald Trump invited the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team to attend his 2026 State of the Union address after the squad secured a historic gold medal victory over Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday — a win many fans are calling a defining moment for American hockey.
The dramatic victory over Team Canada, long considered the United States’ fiercest rival on the ice, sparked celebrations across the country. In a show of support for the athletes, Trump personally called into the locker room moments after the team clinched gold.
FBI Director Kash Patel was present with the team during the celebration and held his phone up on speaker so the players could hear the president’s message directly.
“I’ll tell you what. I just told my 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,” Trump said. “I can send a military plane or something, but if you would like to, it’s the coolest night, it’s the biggest speech …”
Before the president could finish the invitation, one player responded enthusiastically: “We’re in.”
“We’ll get Kash, and we’ll get the military to get you guys over,” Trump continued. “You won’t have to worry about the weather or landing. We don’t care if it’s snowing or if it’s the worst blizzard – we’ll be sailing through like you did on the ice.”
Trump also said he would honor the team again the following day with additional medals and recognition, adding that the women’s team would be invited to participate in the celebration as well.
The invitation reflects Trump’s long-standing emphasis on honoring American excellence and celebrating national pride on the world stage. The president has frequently used major national events — including State of the Union addresses — to highlight everyday Americans and athletes whose achievements represent resilience, determination and the American spirit.
Trump is scheduled to deliver his 2026 State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 24, beginning at 9 p.m. ET. The annual address provides the president an opportunity to outline his legislative priorities while recognizing notable Americans whose accomplishments have captured the nation’s attention.
Viewers hoping to watch the speech live will have no shortage of options. All major news networks, including Fox News, will feature live coverage of Trump’s address.
Fox News coverage is slated to begin shortly before Trump’s remarks at 8:50 p.m. ET and will conclude shortly after the address ends at 11 p.m.
Follow Fox’s coverage on Fox News Channel, FoxNews.com, the Fox News App, Fox Nation and the Fox One app.
Most networks, including Fox, will offer livestream links. The speech will also be streamed live on the White House’s website and YouTube page.
