President Donald Trump shot the management of previous administrations of Afghanistan while he welcomed Florida’s panthers to the White House to celebrate their Stanley Cup title.
Panthers were the first team to visit the White House during Trump’s second term as president.
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President Donald Trump speaks like Vincent Viola, owner of the team of the NHL Stanley 2024 NHL Cup team, the Florida Panthers hockey team, on the left, listens to a ceremony to honor the ‘Team of the Salle is from the White House, Monday, February 3, 2025, at the Happy Washington. (AP photo / Evan VUCCI)
The president spoke a lot about the owner of the Vincent Viola team before letting him say a few words about his team which won the Stanley Cup in an epic series of seven games against the Edmonton Oilers. Trump called Viola as a “real champion” who loves the army.
“He’s a real champion in everything he has done. Likes soldiers,” said Trump. “The first thing he did, I see him:” You have to do that with the army. You have to move them here. You have to put… ”He gives me all the instructions. You love the army.
“You know, we should have had you in Afghanistan instead of the characters we had. This would have been a little different.”
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President Donald Trump shakes hands with the captain of the Aleksander Barkov team during a ceremony with the Florida Panthers hockey team in the NHL to celebrate his victory in 2024 Stanley Cup, in the house is Blanche, Monday, February 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP photo / Alex Brandon)
The United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the hope of overthrowing the Taliban and finding Usama bin Laden.
While the United States was finalizing its withdrawal from Afghanistan, Suicide Bombers launched an attack on the Abbey of Hamid Karzai International Airport. Thirteen American soldiers were killed with 170 Afghan civilians.
In Trump’s first administration, Viola was in the running for the United States Army Secretary before withdrawing from consideration. The billionaire businessman attended the American military academy in West Point and finally served with the 101st airborne division in Fort Campbell.
The owner still dreamed of Vinnie Viola holds the trophy after winning the 2017 Kentucky derby in Churchill Downs. (Jamie Rhodes-USA today Sports)
Viola bought the team in 2013 and the team made the playoffs six times, including five consecutive from the 2019-20 season to the 2023-24 season. The team made the Stanley Cup final in 2023 to lose against the Golden Knights of Vegas in five games.
