President Donald Trump posted a bizarre AI-generated video early Monday, February 23, 2026, depicting himself as a hockey hero in the U.S. men’s Olympic gold medal victory over Canada, scoring goals, punching opponents, and emerging from the penalty box to seal the win.
The video showed Trump shoving Canadian defenders to the ice, sitting smugly in the penalty box after punching a player, then emerging to score what appeared to be the winning goal as U.S. teammates mobbed him in celebration. Trump shared the footage on Truth Social, along with a post from Kari Lake who praised him as “Trump, The ENFORCER!”
The president’s self-aggrandizing video came just hours after the U.S. men’s hockey team defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime on Sunday to capture Olympic gold for the first time in 46 years. The victory at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena marked a historic achievement for Team USA, which last won men’s hockey gold in the legendary 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”
Trump’s video appeared to follow the White House’s earlier trolling of Canada and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The administration posted an image of a bald eagle digging its claws into a Canadian goose, attaching Trudeau’s words from last year’s Four Nations Face-Off tournament.
“You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game,” Trudeau had declared after Canada defeated the U.S. in that tournament, which took place as Trump rattled sabers with tariff threats and talk of making Canada the 51st state.
After Sunday’s gold medal final, Trump issued several Truth Social posts congratulating the U.S. hockey team. He made a congratulatory phone call to the players, suggesting he could use military aircraft to fly them to his State of the Union address on Tuesday and pitch a White House visit the following day. FBI Director Kash Patel held the phone during the call as Trump chuckled while the American men burst into laughter.
But Trump also faced criticism for joking about having to invite the women’s hockey team to the White House after they captured their own gold medal with a 2-1 overtime victory against Canada on Thursday. Megan Keller scored the game-winning overtime goal for the U.S. women, clinching their third gold medal in Olympic history.
“And we have to — I must tell you — we’re going to have to bring the women’s team,” Trump said. “I do believe I probably would be impeached, OK?”
Both U.S. teams went undefeated and defeated Canada by identical 2-1 scores in overtime. The women’s gold was their first since 2018 and third ever, following wins in 1998 and 2018.
Trump’s celebratory mood contrasted sharply with his treatment of some Olympic athletes earlier in the Games. He called freestyle skier Hunter Hess a “loser” for expressing conflicted feelings about representing the United States. Vice President JD Vance and other conservatives joined the chorus against U.S. team members speaking out on political issues.
The U.S. men’s hockey team honored the late Johnny Gaudreau after winning gold, holding up his No. 13 jersey and bringing two of his children onto the ice as they posed to celebrate their victory.
Team USA finished the Milan Cortina Olympics second behind Norway in both gold medals and total medals, taking home 12 golds and 33 medals overall. Norway led with 18 gold medals and 41 total. The hockey victories capped a successful Games for American athletes across multiple disciplines.
Patel faced his own backlash for reportedly using a government jet to fly to Italy, where he was photographed chugging beers with the U.S. men’s hockey team in what critics called an inappropriate use of government resources. The trip reportedly cost taxpayers an estimated $75,000.
The AI-generated video represented Trump’s latest use of artificial intelligence to insert himself into major news events and cultural moments. The president has frequently shared AI-generated content on social media, often depicting himself in heroic or exaggerated scenarios.
Trump’s ongoing feud with Canada has escalated in recent weeks, with the president threatening to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens called the threat “just insane.”
The president has repeatedly warned Canada against strengthening economic ties with China, at one point bizarrely claiming that China would “terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup” if Canada pursued closer trade relations with Beijing.
The Olympic hockey victories provided a temporary bright spot in U.S.-Canada relations, though Trump’s AI video and continued threats suggest tensions between the neighboring nations remain high. The hockey gold medals marked a historic achievement for American athletes, regardless of political posturing.