NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
President Donald Trump announced Saturday who he is sending to represent his presidential delegation to the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina in northern Italy next month.
Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha have been chosen to lead the delegation.
The other members include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to the Italian Republic Tilman Feritta, 2018 women’s ice hockey Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, 2002 and 2006 speed skating gold medalist Apolo Ohno and Eva10 figure skater gold medalists 20ace and Eva Lysk.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Trump’s delegation, which includes two of the U.S. women’s ice hockey players who defeated Canada to win gold, comes at a time of national tension and heated rivalry with the neighboring nation.
United States women’s ice hockey gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux, left, and Monique Lamoureux-Morando after beating Canada at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea. (Harry How/Getty Images)
Several athletes competing for the upcoming U.S. Olympic women’s ice hockey team have said they are willing to engage in physical combat with Canada players if it comes to it.
U.S. women’s hockey star Caroline Harvey said she is prepared to fight and even hear Canadians bow “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Games.
“It’s expected, especially playing Canada,” Harvey told Pakinomist Digital of potential anthem boos at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee media summit in October. “They don’t like us that much. So it’s more motivating than anything and personally it fuels the fire and makes us want to, you know, beat them more than ever.
US HOCKEY STAR BRADY TKACHUK OPENS UP ON TRUMP PHONE CALL FROM 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF FINALE VS CANADA
Members of Team USA and Canadian women’s hockey teams scrap during the IIHF Women’s World Championship, Aug. 26, 2021, in Calgary, Canada. (Derek Leung/Getty Images)
“I don’t like them either. They’re a respectable competitor, they’re so good, and always give us such a tough game, it’s so back and forth. But when we get into the heat of the moment, we just always struggle and don’t like them… It gets personal at times.”
Veteran teammate Kendall Coyne Schofield, mother of a young child and self-described “lover, not a fighter,” told Pakinomist Digital in October that she would fight if the situation called for it.
“If I have to, I have to,” she said. “And I’m not going to say that I’m not a fighter in the sense that I’ve fought for a lot of things in life. But I’m just going to say in general that fighting is not a strength of my game. But if I’m out there and I have to, you know, help my teammates out, I will. But you’re not going to find me starting the fight, I can tell you that.”
Team USA and Canadian women’s hockey players compete during the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary, Canada. (Derek Leung/Getty Images)
The delegation will represent Trump and the United States at a time when the administration has shown willingness to use tariffs to buy Greenland, and is overseeing regime change in Venezuela after capturing its former leader Nicolás Maduro.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ruled out any suspension or sanctions against the United States in the upcoming Winter Games.
“In a world rocked by conflict and division, the International Olympic Committee stands firm in its belief that sport must remain a beacon of hope – a force that brings the whole world together in peaceful competition. This is at the very heart of the Olympic Movement and stems from the fundamental principles of Olympism. This was reiterated by the IOC Executive Board in a statement from IOC25 to Digital News in September 2025.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
“As a global organization, the IOC must manage a complex reality. At each edition of the Olympic Games, the IOC must deal with the current political context and the latest developments in the world. We have always done this successfully. The ability to bring athletes together, regardless of where they come from, is fundamental to the future of value-based, truly global sport that can give hope to the world.”
“For this reason, the IOC cannot directly involve itself in political affairs or conflicts between countries, as these fall outside our mandate. This is the realm of politics. Our role is to ensure that athletes can participate in the Olympic Games, regardless of where they come from.”
