WALDRON GRAIN & FUEL

02/24 14:50 CST US men's hockey team visits Trump at the White House on its way to his State of the Union US men's hockey team visits Trump at the White House on its way to his State of the Union By The Associated Press 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