President Donald Trump shared a lighthearted exchange Friday with Olympic speed skating champion Jordan Stolz during a roundtable event in Wisconsin, briefly accepting one of the athlete’s gold medals before ultimately returning it to its rightful owner.
The event took place in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, where Trump met with local farmers alongside Rep. Derrick Van Orden. The gathering focused on issues affecting the agricultural community, though one of the most memorable moments of the day came when Trump recognized a hometown sports star in attendance.
Before introducing Stolz, Trump had spent part of the morning discussing economic matters, including criticism of stock market performance. The comments came as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq experienced what was described as their worst day of the year despite a jobs report that exceeded expectations.
During the roundtable, however, attention briefly shifted from economics and politics to athletics.
“And finally, two-time gold medal winner in speed skating at this year’s Winter Olympics, Jordan Stolz,” Trump said. “Where the hell is he?”
The mention prompted an enthusiastic reaction from attendees, who broke into chants of “U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A.”
Stolz, a Wisconsin native and two-time Olympic gold medalist, then approached the president. Trump stood to greet him, and the two exchanged a handshake before Stolz placed a gold medal around Trump’s neck.
The crowd laughed as Trump immediately joked about keeping the award.
“I’m keeping it. I’m keeping it, Jordan. I’m not giving it back,” Trump said. “I’m a very good guy for keeping gold. I like gold. I’m never giving this back. Congratulations.”
The moment reflected the informal and often unscripted style that has long characterized Trump’s public appearances. While the event itself focused on policy discussions and concerns affecting rural communities, the exchange with Stolz provided a break from the more serious topics of the day.
Trump also commented on the athlete’s physical condition, marveling at the strength required to reach the top levels of Olympic competition.
“I forgot to touch his leg,” Trump said. “I didn’t want to do that. But I can tell you one thing, his leg is like a rock. That’s fan— two gold medals. Wow, that’s big stuff. Thank you. It’s an honor.”
Despite joking that he intended to keep the medal, Trump returned it to Stolz at the conclusion of the roundtable.
The exchange also fit into a pattern of comments Trump has made over the years regarding the physical attributes of athletes and other individuals he has met.
During the Wisconsin event, Trump referred to former NFL offensive lineman Joe Thomas as a “good-looking man.”
Last month at a rally in New York, Trump was introduced by New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart. During the event, Trump remarked that Dart had “legs like tree trunks.” A few days later, he told Fox News that he wished he looked like the football player, whom he described as “beautiful.”
Similarly, while addressing graduates at the United States Coast Guard Academy shortly before the New York rally, Trump singled out graduate Thomas Roach after learning about his physical fitness achievements.
“Wow, this guy must be something,” Trump said at the time. “Congratulations to Thomas Roach. Thomas, get up here, please. I wanna see. I want to check him out!”
Friday’s exchange with Stolz added another memorable moment to that list, as the Olympic champion and the president shared a brief but highly visible celebration of athletic achievement before returning the focus to the issues facing Wisconsin farmers.
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