Donald Trump’s proposed plan to make an appearance at the Winter Olympics men’s hockey final matchup reportedly fell apart just 24 hours before the showdown event.
The United States is set to face off against bitter rival Canada in what was slated to be a tense, blockbuster final between the two nations in one of the final events of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday.
It had been speculated that the US president, who fanned the flames of the heated hockey rivalry during last year’s 4 Nations: Face-Off tournament, could make the trip to Milan to support Team USA.
However, the Commander-in-Chief is said to have performed a U-turn on his Olympic plans amid his battle with the US Supreme Court, according to The Express.
Trump will now remain at the White House on Sunday, with meetings scheduled for 8:00am and 12:00pm ET clashing with the final at the Santa Giulia Arena in the Italian capital.
Security planning for the tightly-orchestrated trip had reportedly already begun and Air Force One was said to be on standby after the Americans punched their ticket to the gold-medal match with a dominant 6-2 semifinal win over Slovakia.
Donald Trump will reportedly not attend the Winter Olympics hockey final, despite speculation
The USA is set to face off against bitter rival Canada in the gold-medal match on Sunday
But domestic business has taken priority with the president remaining Stateside as he continues to rail against the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court dramatically struck down his ‘liberation day’ reciprocal levies on Friday, ruling that they were unconstitutional.
Infuriated by the high court’s ruling, Trump on Friday ordered an immediate 10 percent tariff on all imports.
However, he hiked the worldwide tariffs to 15 percent – the maximum allowed – on Saturday under a never-used trade law.
The new tariff is being applied under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, which allows the president to increase levies up to a maximum of 15 percent.
It has never been imposed before, making it a historic moment for the Trump administration. The law allows him to impose the levy for 150 days, although it could face legal challenges.
Meanwhile, Sunday’s gold medal hockey game between American and Canadian rivals should stand in stark contrast to the spirit of friendship and political neutrality prescribed in the Olympic Charter.
Aside from Trump’s ongoing trade war with Canada, not to mention his stated desire to make the country America’s 51st state, Team USA’s Brady Tkachuk told ESPN ‘there’s hatred’ between the two teams.
Trump will remain in DC as he continues to rail against the Supreme Court over his tariffs
USA star Brady Tkachuk claimed that there was ‘hatred’ between the America and Canada
‘For us, we want to be in that position, be the best,’ the Ottawa Senators star told ESPN. ‘So it’s going to be a game where I think a lot of guys could say, this is the biggest game that they’ve ever played in.’
The US has not beaten Canada in a gold medal game since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, where New York Rangers goalie Mike Richter came away with tournament MVP honors for stifling a Canadian attack that included Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Eric Lindros.
Should it have gone ahead, Trump’s proposed Olympic appearance would have raised eyebrows given the public criticism of the president by a faction of Team USA’s athletes at the Games.
A number of athletes have used the Winter Olympics platform to protest against Trump and a number of issues currently dividing America.
Team USA freestyle skiers Hunter Hess and Chris Lillis, as well as the ice skater Amber Glenn and curler Rich Ruohonen, have all spoken out about escalating issues in the US during the past fortnight.
Last week, vice president JD Vance told athletes to stick to sport and not ‘pop off about politics’ after multiple US athletes in Italy spoke out.
Vance said: ‘Yes, you’re going to have some Olympic athletes who pop off about politics. I feel like that happens every Olympics.
The clashes between the two teams during the 4 Nations last year turned heated
Freestyle skier Hunter Hess of Oregon was the most outspoken in his criticism of Trump
‘My advice to them would be to try to bring the country together, and when you’re representing the country, you’re representing Democrats and Republicans.
‘You’re there to play a sport, and you’re there to represent your country and hopefully win a medal. You’re not there to pop off about politics.’
He added: ‘When Olympic athletes enter the political arena, they should expect some pushback.
‘But most Olympic athletes, whatever their politics, are doing a great job, certainly enjoy the support of the entire country, and I think recognize that the way to bring the country together is not to show up in a foreign country and attack the President of the United States, but it’s to play your sport and to represent the country well.’
