Overview
- At an East Room ceremony Thursday, President Trump hosted the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
- Team leaders Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk presented a red jersey bearing 47 and a golden stick, while defenseman Seth Jones handed over two championship rings.
- Trump slipped on one of the rings, displayed it for cameras, waved the stick, and joked that it was good for slashing.
- The team’s matching navy suits, white shirts, red ties, and identical USA-flag pins drew strong criticism across social media.
- Trump praised the Panthers’ consecutive titles, lauded keeping the Cup out of Canada, and touted U.S. oil output and sub-$2 gas in some states as the team continued on to road games in Raleigh and Washington.