Johnson Looking to Change House Rules to Bring Team USA Hockey to Trump’s State of the Union

(Kyodo via AP Images)

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he was “trying to work out logistics” after President Donald Trump invited the men’s U.S. Hockey team to the State of the Union following their gold medal win against Canada on Sunday.

Fox News’s Chad Pergram reported Monday, “Johnson says he expects both the men’s and women’s gold medal winning hockey teams to attend State of the Union tomorroe [sic] night.”

In a second post, Pergram quoted Johnson as saying, “We’ve got to figure out logistics. There’s no way to have special guests on the floor because it’s a literal session of Congress and you know that’s what’s good about rules.”

“But we’re going to work and do what we can to accommodate,” Pergram quoted Johnson. “We certainly want to have them here for the celebration. It’s quite a feat. The men’s and women’s hockey teams. We’re trying to work out logistics to see if there’s some way to perhaps get them into the gallery and the doors, wave and receive the applause that they’re [sic] due. We’re working on logistics,” Pergram wrote.

Trump spoke to the team by phone in the locker room moments after their victory, with help from FBI Director Kash Patel, who was there celebrating.

Trump invited the team to hear his speech Tuesday in front of Congress, which they enthusiastically accepted. Trump then bemoaned the fact that he’d also have to invite the women’s team, who won gold against the Canadians as well.

“And we have to, I must tell you, we’re gonna have to bring the woman’s team,” Trump said, causing the players to laugh as one player exclaimed off-screen, “Two for two!”

Trump added, “I do believe I would probably be impeached,” if he didn’t invite the women along.

NBC News reported that a spokesperson for the women’s team called the players “sincerely grateful” for the recognition, but added that the players would be unable to attend “due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments.”

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