U.S. Hockey Player Brady Tkachuk Calls White House TikTok Video "Clearly Fake"

Tkachuk denies disparaging Canadians after Olympic gold medal win

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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American hockey player Brady Tkachuk has denounced a doctored TikTok video shared by the White House that made it appear he was disparaging Canadians after winning Olympic gold. Tkachuk called the video "clearly fake" and said the words would never come out of his mouth. He also denied being the voice heard shouting "close the northern border" during a celebratory call with the U.S. President.

Why it matters

The video has sparked controversy and raised questions about the use of AI-generated media, especially when it comes to political messaging and the potential to spread misinformation. As a prominent U.S. athlete, Tkachuk's response highlights the challenges of navigating heightened tensions between the U.S. and Canada.

The details

The TikTok video includes fabricated audio of Tkachuk referring to Canadians using an expletive, with the expletive bleeped out. The video carries a note saying it "contains AI-generated media." Tkachuk said the video is not his voice or likeness, and that he would never say such things. He also denied being the voice heard on a celebratory call with the U.S. President shouting "close the northern border."

  • On Sunday, the U.S. men's hockey team won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics, defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime.
  • On Tuesday, some members of the U.S. men's and women's hockey teams attended the State of the Union address in Washington.

The players

Brady Tkachuk

A 26-year-old American hockey player who is the captain of the NHL's Ottawa Senators. He played for the U.S. men's hockey team that won the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who invited the U.S. men's and women's hockey teams to the White House after their Olympic victories.

Hilary Knight

A member of the U.S. women's hockey team that won the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Matthew Tkachuk

Brady Tkachuk's brother, who plays for the Florida Panthers in the NHL and expressed pride in the U.S. hockey teams' historic sweep of the gold medals.

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What they’re saying

“It's clearly fake because it's not my voice and not my lips moving. I'm not in control of any of those accounts. … I know that those words would never come out of my mouth.”

— Brady Tkachuk, U.S. Hockey Player (nbcnews.com)

“I would never say that. That's not who I am.”

— Brady Tkachuk, U.S. Hockey Player (nbcnews.com)

“I've been seeing stuff that people think it's me, but if you watch the video, that's not my voice and something that I never say.”

— Brady Tkachuk, U.S. Hockey Player (nbcnews.com)

“Our two teams were so close. We watched other events together. We went and supported them. We loved the women's team. The women's team loved us and we're so proud that we had a clean sweep of gold medals and just so much respect for them and the other athletes.”

— Matthew Tkachuk, NHL Player (nbcnews.com)

What’s next

The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment on the doctored TikTok video.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the growing concerns around the use of AI-generated media and the potential for it to be used to spread misinformation, especially in politically charged environments. As a prominent U.S. athlete, Brady Tkachuk's strong denunciation of the video underscores the need for greater transparency and accountability when it comes to the creation and distribution of such content.