The gold-medal-winning U.S. men's Olympic hockey team landed at Joint Base Andrews and visited President Donald Trump at the White House before attending his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
Forward Matthew Tkachuk posted pictures on social media of members of the team celebrating on what appears to be a U.S. government plane and a group shot of them deplaning.
The U.S. beat Canada 2-1 in overtime on Sunday at the Milan Cortina Olympics. It was the Americans' first gold medal in men’s hockey since the “Miracle on Ice” group won in Lake Placid, New York, in 1980.
The team received a State of the Union invitation from Trump following the game. A video that circulated on social media appeared to show Trump inviting the team on a phone call in the locker room, as he joked that he'd also have to invite the women's team, which also won gold over Canada.
The women declined, citing scheduling issues.
The men took a chartered plane to Miami on Monday night before traveling to the nation's capital in the morning.
Videos and photos of the team’s White House visit were shared on social media by Trump administration aides. Team members posed for a photograph in front of the South Portico after they arrived. They also walked along the West Wing colonnade where Trump has posted portraits of every U.S. president just steps away from the Oval Office, where they were welcomed by Trump.
As they approached the Oval Office, some of the players popped into the press office's open door to flash their medals. Staffers applauded and shouted, “We love you!”
“I recognize every one of you. I know every one of you,” Trump said as the players entered the Oval Office, which he has redecorated with numerous flourishes of gold that matched the players’ medals.
“Big guys,” he said, standing near his desk and shaking hands with the players, who wore dark tops with “USA,” the American flag and the Olympic rings on the front and light colored pants.
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
United States hockey player Matthew Tkachuk arrives at E11EVEN after the team won the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police are investigating after officers were pelted with snowballs while responding to a massive snowball fight at Washington Square Park in Manhattan, as a winter storm blanketed the Northeast in snow.
A video of the fracas shows two uniformed officers pacing a walkway in the park Monday as snowballs fly at them from all directions, hitting the officers and covering them in snow.
The officers, growing visibly frustrated, shoved at least two people to the ground as snowballs continued to whizz by. At one point, a person runs up behind an officer and mushes some snow onto his head. One of the officers can be seen rubbing his eye toward the end of the video.
In a statement Tuesday, the New York Police Department said multiple uniformed officers were struck in the face with snowballs and were "removed by EMS in stable condition" to a nearby hospital, but did not disclose additional information on their injuries. No arrests have been made.
Jessica Tisch, the city’s police commissioner, called the behavior “disgraceful” and “criminal" and said the department is investigating.
Several political figures in the city were quick to denounce the dust up, with many of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s critics seizing on the incident as evidence that respect for law enforcement has declined under the new mayor, who faced attacks during his campaign over criticisms he made of the department in 2020. Mamdani has walked back those past remarks.
Mamdani, in a post on X on Tuesday, wrote “Officers, like all city workers, have been out in a historic blizzard, keeping New Yorkers safe and cars moving. Treat them with respect. If anyone’s catching a snowball, it’s me.”
At a news conference later in the day, Mamdani was asked whether he thought anyone should be criminally charged over the snowballs and appeared to downplay the situation.
“From the videos that I’ve seen, it looks like a snowball fight,” he said.
The head of the city’s largest police union called Mamdani’s response a “complete failure of leadership.”
“This was not just a ‘snowball fight.’ This was an assault,” Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said in a statement, adding “By ignoring their injuries and dismissing the incident, the mayor has sent a disgraceful message to every police officer who serves this city."
A piece of the New York skyline rises above a pile of snow on the Weekhawken, N.J. waterfront, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
