U.S. Hockey Star Calls Out White House Over Fake Video

Brady Tkachuk denies making disparaging comments about Canadians in AI-generated post.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Olympic gold medalist Brady Tkachuk, who represents the U.S. men's hockey team, has called out the White House for posting an AI-generated video of him making disparaging comments about Canadians. Tkachuk, whose mother is Canadian, says the video is clearly fake and the words would never come out of his mouth.

Why it matters

The incident highlights growing concerns around the use of AI-generated media and the potential for it to be used to spread misinformation, especially when it involves public figures. As the captain of an NHL team based in Canada, Tkachuk has faced increased scrutiny over his team's conduct following their Olympic victory.

The details

The video, posted to the White House TikTok account, featured Tkachuk appearing to say, "They booed our national anthem, so I had to come out and teach those maple syrup-eating f---ers a lesson." However, Tkachuk denied the video was real, stating the voice and lips moving were not his own. He emphasized those words would never come out of his mouth.

  • On February 27, 2026, the White House posted the AI-generated video of Tkachuk on TikTok.
  • After returning to Ottawa, Tkachuk addressed the video with reporters on March 1, 2026.

The players

Brady Tkachuk

An Olympic gold medalist and captain of the Canadian-based Ottawa Senators NHL team, who represented the U.S. men's hockey team at the Milan Olympics.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States, who was present at the White House when the U.S. men's hockey team visited and attended the State of the Union address.

Hilary Knight

The captain of the U.S. women's hockey team, who called a joke made by Trump at the expense of the women's team "distasteful."

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What they’re saying

“It's clearly fake, 'cause it's not my voice and not my lips moving, I'm not in control of any of those accounts, and I know that those words would never come out of my mouth, so I can't do anything about it.”

— Brady Tkachuk (The Daily Beast)

“Did I like it? I mean it's not my voice, not what I was saying... I would never say that, that's not who I am, so I guess I don't like that video 'cause that would just never come out of my mouth, never a thought, and I'll leave it at that.”

— Brady Tkachuk (The Daily Beast)

What’s next

The White House has been contacted for comment on the AI-generated video featuring Tkachuk.

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 when it involves public figures. It also raises questions about the responsibility of government entities in verifying the authenticity of content they share on social media.