Shortly after Team USA’s historic Olympic gold-medal victory in men’s hockey on Sunday, the team had a special guest join them in the locker room — and an even more special guest phone in his congratulations.
Following USA’s first gold-medal victory since 1980, the hockey team was joined by noted hockey fan FBI Director Kash Patel, who enthusiastically joined in the celebration.
‘We’re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. I can send a military plane.’
After pounding a beer and banging his fist on a table in the locker room, Patel called President Donald Trump, who spoke with the team for a few minutes and offered them the opportunity of a lifetime.
On the call, President Trump joked that the goalie “played not bad.”
“How you doing, Don?” said goalie Connor Hellebuyck in reply.
RELATED: ‘LOTS OF WINNING!!!’ Trump praises America’s historic hockey victory at Winter Olympics
Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Then came Trump’s offer: “We’re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. I can send a military plane. … If you would like to, it’s the coolest night.”
The whole hockey team said they were in to attend.
Trump continued: “The nice thing about being president is, I can tell you, you don’t have to worry about the weather or landing. We don’t care if it’s snowing or if it’s the worst blizzard.”
Trump then joked, “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” adding that he “probably would be impeached” if he neglected to invite the U.S. women’s team since they also won the gold medal.
The president then offered the men’s team his congratulations once more, saying: “You’re going to be proud of that game for 50 years. … I’m going to shake hands with everybody, but I got to shake hands with that goalie.”
Patel received some criticism for joining the team in the locker room, but he defended his actions in a response on social media that has since gone viral: “For the very concerned media — yes, I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys — Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth.”
President Trump also took to Truth Social to congratulate the team: “Congratulations to our great U.S.A. Ice Hockey team. THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW!”
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