Trump Branded 'Embarrassment to the World' After Posting an AI Video of Himself Attacking Canadian Hockey Players

Donald Trump could have left it at congratulations. He did not. Hours after the US men beat Canada 2–1 in overtime on 23 February to claim Olympic gold, the president posted an AI-generated video of himself flattening Canadian hockey players.

It was not subtle.

The clip, shared on Trump's Truth Social account late in the evening, shows a digitally de-aged Trump skating in a navy suit and red tie. He throws a shoulder into one opponent. He drops his gloves for another. At one point he is shown grinning from the penalty box, as if this were all part of the plan.

Then he scores the winning goal. Cue 'Eye of the Tiger.'

No caption. No explanation. Just the music and the message.

Glitches, Memes And A Growing Pile-On

Within minutes, screenshots were circulating beyond Trump's own platform. By early evening Eastern time, the clip had racked up millions of combined views across Truth Social and X.

The first wave of reaction focused on the obvious digital flaws. In one frame, a referee appears to have a Team USA logo on the back of his jersey. That detail spread quickly, becoming shorthand for what critics described as low-quality 'AI slop'.

But mockery soon gave way to something sharper.

Commentators in Canada called the video juvenile. British columnists described it as embarrassing. On X, users labelled it 'unhinged' and 'disgusting,' arguing that a sitting US president depicting himself in staged violence against athletes from a neighbouring ally crossed a line.

White House media adviser Kari Lake had initially posted the clip with the caption 'Trump, THE ENFORCER!' Trump later reshared it from his own account. His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has previously stated that posts on Truth Social come 'straight from the horse's mouth.'

There has been no subsequent clarification from the White House.

The Trudeau Shadow

The timing was not accidental.

Earlier that day, social media users resurfaced a message posted the previous year by then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after Canada defeated the US in another tournament. 'You can't take our country — and you can't take our game,' Trudeau had written.

Trump did not reference the remark directly in his post. He did not need to. The AI clip functioned as the reply.

A Pattern Of Digital Spectacle

The hockey video did not emerge in isolation. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has leaned heavily into AI-generated imagery and digitally stylised political messaging.

After the men's gold medal win, the official White House account shared an image of a bald eagle gripping a Canadian goose. When the US women's team won gold four days earlier, the message was more restrained: 'WE ARE SO BACK.'

There was no personal congratulatory post from Trump to the women's squad.

During a locker-room video call with the men's team, Trump said he planned to invite them to Tuesday's State of the Union address. He then added that he would likely need to invite the women's team as well. 'I do believe I probably would be impeached, OK?' he joked.

The players laughed. Online reaction was colder.

The US women's hockey team later declined the invitation, citing prior academic and professional commitments in a statement released by USA Hockey.

A Political Undercurrent

All of this lands against a colder diplomatic climate.

Throughout his second term, Trump has floated tariffs targeting Canada and revived talk of it becoming a '51st state.' Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has rejected that outright, stating Canada 'will never, in any shape or form, be part of the United States.'

The Olympic final in Milan already carried political weight before the puck dropped.

The AI video made sure it carried on afterwards.

Supporters shrugged and called it trolling.

Critics called it reckless.

Either way, a genuine sporting high ended the day sharing oxygen with a digitally staged fistfight.

The gold medal will endure.

So will the clip.