‘I’m not giving it back’: Trump jokes that he’s keeping US Men’s hockey gold medal as he meets team at White House

“Hey, that’s cool,’ Trump said. ‘I never thought I'd ever have this on’ NewsWorldAmericasUS politics‘I’m not giving it back’: Trump jokes that he’s keeping US Men’s hockey gold medal as he meets team at White House“Hey, that’s cool,’ Trump said. ‘I never thought I'd ever have this on’Brendan Rascius in New York Tuesday 24 February 2026 23:37 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverTrump jokes he plans to keep US Men's hockey gold medal as he meets team at White HouseYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreAfter being presented with an Olympic gold medal, President Donald Trump joked that he was “not giving it back.”On Tuesday afternoon, the Republican president hosted members of the U.S. men’s hockey team at the White House after their historic gold-winning game at the Winter Olympics in Italy at the weekend. The match against Canada, which ended in sudden-death overtime, marked the team’s first victory since 1980’s “Miracle on Ice.”During a photo-op in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Team USA hockey player Matthew Tkachuk offered to let Trump wear his gold medal.“Yeah, I’ll put it on,” the 79-year-old president said while sitting behind the Resolute desk. As he grabbed the award and draped it around his neck, he quipped, “I’m not giving it back.”The room erupted into laughter. open image in galleryPresident Donald Trump joked that he would keep the US Men's hockey gold medal when he met the team at the White House (Margo Martin, X)“Hey, that’s cool,” Trump said. “I never thought I'd ever have this on.”“I’ll trade you that for a pen,” Tkachuk told the president, pointing at a row of pens situated on the desk.Trump’s meeting with the men’s team comes just hours before his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill, during which he’s expected to highlight his record on the economy, immigration and foreign affairs. Trump is attempting to make room for the men’s hockey team to watch his speech, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson.The U.S. women’s hockey team — which also won the gold medal — declined the president’s White House invitation after he told the men’s team that he’d face impeachment if he didn’t also invite the women.Trump wasn't the only one to be handed a token of appreciation following the men’s hockey team’s victory. On Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Defense posted a photo on X of Team USA player Connor Hellebuyck holding a "Secretary of Defense” plaque. It was captioned “AMERICA’S SECRETARY OF DEFENSE!”open image in galleryMachado gifted her Nobel Peace Prize, encased in a gold frame, to Trump at the White House last month (White House via Getty Images)The president has a long history of accepting other peoples’ awards — or being gifted new awards tailor-made just for him.In January, Trump accepted the Nobel Peace Prize medal from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. She presented it to him in a gold frame during a White House meeting, accompanied by a letter thanking him for his “extraordinary leadership.”And, in December, Trump won FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize. The newly created award was given to him in recognition of his efforts to resolve conflicts around the world. Most recently, mining executives handed the president a shiny trophy, naming him the “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal.”More aboutWhite Housegold medalOlympicsDonald TrumpHockeyNobel Peace PrizeJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next