A top House Republican leader is taking two hockey legends who represent America’s bygone might over Moscow to attend President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer announced Monday his guests are U.S. Olympic gold medalists Buzz Schneider and Rob McClanahan, who played in the historic “Miracle on Ice” victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
The U.S. Hockey Hall of famers were part of the U.S. team that defeated the heavily favored USSR for the gold in what was considered one of the greatest sports upsets in U.S. history.
The victory 45 years ago in Lake Placid also marked a major Cold War achievement for the United States in its rivalry with the former Soviet Union. The U.S. hockey team, made up of mostly college athletes, defeated the Soviets, who had won the previous four Olympic gold medals in hockey.
“Whether through leadership in our state or unforgettable contributions to one of the most iconic moments in sports history, these individuals represent the best of Minnesota and the American spirit,” said Emmer, a former hockey coach.
Schneider called the invitation “a privilege to represent the State of Hockey” and McClanahan said he is “proud to be in our nation’s capital to represent the values of perseverance, patriotism, and teamwork that have always been at the heart of Minnesota, America, and God’s sport.”
The former players' attendance at Trump’s planned Tuesday night address follows Friday’s epic Oval Office blow-up between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which raises major questions about whether the U.S. will continue to support Ukraine in its war with Russian aggressors.
President Jimmy Carter in 1980 announced a boycott of the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. But three years into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Trump stands accused of “coddling” Putin, Russia’s dictator, demanding an apology from Zelensky after effectively kicking the beleaguered Ukrainian leader out of the White House on Friday.
The president’s scheduled speech to Congress comes as he has emasculated the legislative branch of government and decimated the federal bureaucracy with the strength of his tremendous executive power.
“I am grateful to Congressman Emmer for inviting me to the President’s Joint Address, especially at such a pivotal moment in our nation’s history,” Schneider said. “It is a privilege to represent the State of Hockey and to celebrate the evening with those who share with me in optimism and hope for our country’s future.”
Emmer, who is an active player in the annual Congressional Hockey Challenge for charity, is slated to have the Stanley Cup displayed in his office on Tuesday, with the two sports legends also in attendance ahead of the president’s speech.
