The White House seized on a historic Olympic victory Sunday to take a public swipe at former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after Team USA captured gold in men’s hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
The United States ended a 46-year Winter Olympics gold medal drought in men’s hockey with a dramatic 2-1 overtime win over Canada.
Jack Hughes delivered the decisive moment, scoring the golden goal off a cross-ice feed from Zach Werenski to clinch the championship.
The victory set off celebrations inside the arena in Milan and across the United States, as fans woke up in the early hours of Sunday to watch the matchup.
Following the win, President Donald Trump placed a congratulatory phone call to the team.
Soon after, the official White House account on X used the occasion to respond to a past post by Trudeau.
After Canada defeated the United States in the Four Nations Face-Off last year, Trudeau had written on the social media platform, “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”
You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 21, 2025 [2]
With the Olympic result reversing that outcome on the sport’s biggest stage, the White House quote-posted Trudeau’s message and shared a photo of a bald eagle standing atop a Canadian goose, a symbolic jab at the former Canadian leader.
https://t.co/kOiCXdVMao [3] pic.twitter.com/ZIiychKPoo [4]
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 22, 2026 [5]
The White House was not alone in revisiting Trudeau’s earlier remarks. Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III also responded on X, referencing Trudeau’s original post from a year ago.
“We took your game,” Griffin wrote in a quote-post of Trudeau’s message, adding a photo of himself holding an American flag.
We took your game. https://t.co/liKZ2Dx9OE [6] pic.twitter.com/KniLhfwlLF [7]
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 22, 2026 [8]
On the ice, Hughes’ overtime goal capped off a tightly contested championship between the two North American rivals.
His finish off Werenski’s pass ignited a wave of celebration among teammates and fans, ending nearly five decades without Olympic gold in men’s hockey for the United States.
In a postgame interview, Hughes spoke about what the victory meant to him and the team.
“This is all about our country right now. I love the USA,” Hughes said in an interview after scoring the goal. “I’m so proud to be American today. I love my country, I love my teammates. That’s American hockey right there. That’s a great Canadian team, but this means so much. We are such a team.”
He also reflected on the unity within the roster and the support from former players.
“The USA brotherhood in this team is so strong, so much support from ex-players. I cannot believe this. It could have gone either way tonight.”
THIS IS HOW YOU SHOULD REPRESENT AMERICA!!!
“This is all about our country right now. I love the USA… We’re so proud to be Americans.”
pic.twitter.com/P3rHplxcYP [9]
— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen) February 22, 2026 [10]
The 2-1 overtime victory at the Milan Cortina Games marked a milestone for U.S. men’s hockey, breaking a 46-year Olympic gold drought and renewing one of the sport’s most intense international rivalries.
The online exchanges that followed added another layer to a championship that was already destined to be remembered by American hockey fans.
Canada and the United States have long battled for supremacy on the international stage, and Sunday’s result ensured that the 2026 gold medal game will stand as one of the defining chapters in that history.