The Pak Global Pakistan — The White House marked the United States’ gold medal win against Canada in the men’s hockey final at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 with a politically charged social media post. The image depicted a bald eagle, representing the US, seemingly attacking a goose, the symbol of Canada. This post was a pointed response to a 2025 tweet by then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserting, “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”
The US’s narrow 2-1 sudden-death overtime victory in Italy reignited the longstanding hockey rivalry between the two nations, but the White House’s post drew criticism for its provocative tone. Canadian academics and journalists called out the Trump administration for escalating tensions through what some viewed as unsportsmanlike messaging.
Former US President Donald Trump, who has long expressed contentious views toward Canada – including suggesting it become the 51st US state – praised the US team’s triumph on his Truth Social platform.
The hockey rivalry unfolds against a backdrop of political friction, with Trump’s administration imposing tariffs and threatening further economic measures against Canada, straining relations between two longtime allies.