President Donald Trump has opted out of attending the opening ceremony of the Italian Olympic Games at the iconic San Siro Stadium in Milan. However, his influence is likely to cast a long shadow over the festivities that commence this Friday.
Trump’s history of alienating allies, his erratic tariff strategies, and his notorious aspirations for Greenland have markedly disrupted the established global order. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney characterized this international “rupture” at Davos last month, suggesting that outpacing the Americans in Italy has morphed from a mere sporting goal to a profound moral imperative for Trump’s adversaries.
“This is life and death,” remarked Charlie Angus, a former Canadian MP and vocal Trump critic. “If it’s the semifinals and we’re facing the United States, it transcends mere sport. It’s profound.”
The Trump administration envisions a significant presence at these Olympics, as indicated by a State Department memo obtained by POLITICO. The aim is to “promote the United States as a global leader in international sports” and to generate excitement for what the White House dubs a “Decade of Sport in America,” which includes hosting the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2028 and the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2034, along with the FIFA World Cup this summer.
Yet, the administration’s confrontational stance may muddle these aspirations.
Trump is delegating Vice President JD Vance, a well-known skeptic of European leaders, to head the presidential delegation in Milan. On top of that, news that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will provide security during the games has incited widespread outrage across Italy.
Since his return to the White House in January, Trump has clashed with several nations eager to dominate the Olympic leaderboards. His contentious relationship with Norway—home to the most medals from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics—over a perceived snub regarding the Nobel Peace Prize, and ongoing disputes with Canada, which placed fourth in Beijing, exemplify this tension.
“We’re viewing the world through a very different lens,” Angus continued. “We have a neighbor making increasingly erratic threats. So to attend international games and act as if we’re one big happy family? That’s a thing of the past.”
Trump’s sparring with French President Emmanuel Macron (who finished 13th in Beijing) and threats towards Denmark—a country that hasn’t medaled in the Winter Olympics since 1998—over Greenland only add to the hostilities.
This tense backdrop comes while Trump appears to maintain a softer approach towards Russia, whose athletes competed under a neutral flag in 2022 due to doping sanctions and secured the second-most medals at the Beijing Games, just prior to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Olympics have historically intertwined with geopolitics, from Russia’s exclusion due to its war in Ukraine to South Africa’s long ban during apartheid. Even Beijing’s moment was tainted by a U.S. diplomatic boycott tied to human rights abuses against the Uyghur population.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly asserted that Trump’s agenda of “America First” is yielding results.
“Fairer trade agreements are leveling the playing field for our farmers and workers, NATO allies are assuming greater responsibility for their own defense, and we’re curbing drug and criminal influx,” she stated. “Instead of taking bizarre vendettas against American athletes, foreign leaders should emulate the President by ceasing unchecked migration, halting the Green New Scam policies, and advocating for peace through strength.”
When contacted for further insights, the State Department deferred to the White House regarding the political implications of the games. A State Department spokesperson also emphasized the role of its Diplomatic Security Service in ensuring the safety of Americans during the Olympic and Paralympic competitions.
Hockey, arguably the marquee event of the Winter Olympics, has already been affected by Trump’s international agenda. Take the 4 Nations Face-Off from last year, where the U.S. and Canada clashed in both preliminary rounds and the final.
During their match in Montreal, Canadian fans jeered the American national anthem, while Trump called the U.S. locker room that morning, peppering them with barbs about Canada being the 51st state. When Canada clinched the championship in overtime, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gleefully responded, “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”
The U.S. men’s hockey team is set to face Denmark in Milan on Valentine’s Day, with a potential rematch against Canada in the medal rounds.
“I’m sure they’ll focus on their events rather than entangle themselves in politics,” remarked Anders Vistisen, a member of the European Parliament from Denmark, regarding his compatriots. “Maybe Trump’s antics will serve as extra motivation? Who knows?”
On another front, Americans Sean Doherty, Maxime Germain, Campbell Wright, and Paul Schommer will compete against 2022 champion Quentin Fillon Maillet from France in biathlon. Meanwhile, Canadian short track speedskater William Dandjinou, a medal favorite, will contend with several American competitors at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.
“With the current American president, predicting his actions or remarks is a challenge,” said iconic goaltender Dominik Hasek, a gold medalist with Czechia in the 1998 Nagano Games and a rumored presidential candidate in his homeland. “If he manages to refrain from negative comments about athletes from other countries in the coming weeks, all should be well. But that could change rapidly with one of his impulsive outbursts.”
Hasek, a consistent critic of Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, lamented that Trump “has alienated much of the democratic world with his behavior and rhetoric.”
Such remarks hardly resonate with the Olympic motto of “Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together,” which was rebranded by the IOC in 2021.
“It became personal,” Angus noted, reflecting on the charged atmosphere during last year’s Canada-U.S. match. “This was deeply personal. We witnessed near brawls in the stands, all owing to Donald Trump’s constant provocations. He turned that game into a battleground.”
Now, as the Olympics bring together over 90 nations, Trump’s critics are resolved to not let their frustrations with him overshadow the games—if only to deny him that satisfaction.
“People are tired of Trump’s blatant attempts to provoke and insult,” Angus concluded. “It’s like water off a duck’s back for us. We’ve emerged as a tougher people than we were last year.”
Nahal Toosi contributed to this report.
