Trump sends big message in US-Canada ice hockey rivalry with delegation selections for Milan-Cortina Games
President Donald Trump announced Saturday who he is sending to represent his presidential delegation to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in northern Italy next month.
Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha have been chosen to lead the delegation.
The other members include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ambassador of the United States to the Italian Republic Tilman Feritta, 2018 women’s ice hockey Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, 2002 and 2006 speed skating gold medalist Apolo Ohno and 2010 figure skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek.
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Trump's delegation having two of the U.S. women's ice hockey players that defeated Canada to win gold comes at a time of national tension and heated rivalry with the neighboring nation.
Multiple athletes competing for the upcoming U.S. women's ice hockey Olympic team have said they are willing to engage in physical combat with Canada players if it comes to it.
U.S. women's hockey star Caroline Harvey said she is prepared to fight and even hear Canadians boo "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Games.
"It's expected, especially playing Canada," Harvey told Fox News Digital of potential anthem booing at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee media summit in October. "They don't like us very much. So it's more motivating than anything and, personally, it fuels the fire and makes us want to, you know, beat them more than ever.
"I don't like them either. They're a respectable competitor, they're so good, and always give us such a hard game, it's so back-and-forth. But when we get in the heat of the moment, we just always fight and don't like them… It does get personal at times."
Veteran teammate Kendall Coyne Schofield, the mother of a toddler and self-described "lover, not a fighter," told Fox News Digital in October suggested she would fight if the situation demands it.
"If I have to, I have to," she said. "And I wouldn't say I'm not a fighter in the sense that I've fought for many things in life. But I would just say in general, fighting is not a strength of my game. But if I'm out there, and I have to, you know, help my teammates out, I will. But you won't find me starting the fight, I can tell you that."
The delegation will represent Trump and the U.S. at a time when the administration has shown willingness to use tariffs to purchase Greenland, and is overseeing a regime change in Venezuela after capturing its former leader Nicolás Maduro.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ruled out any exclusion or sanctions against the U.S. in the upcoming Winter Games.
"In a world shaken by conflict and division, the International Olympic Committee stands firm in its belief that sport must remain a beacon of hope – a force that brings the whole world together in peaceful competition. This is at the very heart of the Olympic Movement and derives from the Fundamental Principles of Olympism. This was re-emphasised by the IOC Executive Board in September 2025, the IOC said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
"As a global organisation, the IOC has to manage a complex reality. At every edition of the Olympic Games, the IOC has to deal with the current political context and the latest developments in the world. We have always done this successfully. The ability to bring athletes together, no matter where they come from, is fundamental to the future of values-based, truly global sport, which can give hope to the world."
"For this reason, the IOC cannot involve itself directly in political matters or conflicts between countries, as these fall outside our remit. This is the realm of politics. Our role is to ensure that athletes can participate at the Olympic Games, no matter where they come from."
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