Amber Glenn, a gold medalist in the figure skating team event for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, stated she would decline an invitation to visit the White House.[1][2]

Glenn, 22, from Plano, Texas, spoke to Us Weekly amid reports of other Olympians turning down similar invitations. "I’m electing not to either, so I do not blame them whatsoever," she said. "It is our right to be able to choose what we do and don’t endorse, and I think it is a decision that each individual has the right to make."[1]

The 2026 Winter Olympics took place from February 6 to 22 in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, with the figure skating team event held on February 8.[3][4] U.S. Figure Skating referred inquiries to the White House, which did not immediately respond.[2]

Glenn's comments follow a history of some U.S. athletes opting out of White House celebrations. In 2019, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora skipped the visit after their 2018 World Series win, citing the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.[5][6]

Outfielder Mookie Betts also declined the Red Sox event that year.[5] In 2017, President Trump rescinded a White House invitation to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors after Stephen Curry indicated he would not attend.[7][8]

LeBron James, then of the Cleveland Cavaliers, responded by calling Trump a "bum" on social media.[7][8]

While some championship teams have visited the White House under Trump, including the 2019 NCAA women's basketball champion Baylor Bears, NBA teams have not done so during either presidential term.[2][5]

Sources

1. Us Weekly
   Amber Glenn Interview on Olympic Invites
   Published February 2026
   https://www.usweekly.com
2. Fox News
   Don't expect at least one Olympic gold medalist in Washington, D.C., any time soon
   Published February 2026
   https://www.foxnews.com/sports
3. Olympics.com
   Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games
   Accessed 2026
   https://olympics.com/en/milan-cortina-2026/
4. International Skating Union (ISU)
   2026 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Schedule
   Accessed 2026
   https://www.isu.org/figure-skating/olympics
5. ESPN
   Red Sox's Alex Cora to skip White House visit
   May 7, 2019
   https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26744592/red-sox-cora-skip-white-house-visit
6. New York Times
   Alex Cora Won’t Go to White House With Red Sox
   May 7, 2019
   https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/sports/baseball/alex-cora-red-sox-white-house.html