Raucous applause erupts for Olympic men's hockey team at State of the Union: 'What special champions you are!'

President Donald Trump garnered loud applause and cheers when he recognized the gold medal-winning Olympic men's hockey team at his State of the Union speech Tuesday night.

The team walked down the aisles of the press gallery and waved as the members of Congress applauded and chanted.

'What a special job you did, what special champions you are!'

"Here with us tonight is a group of winners who just made the entire nation proud: the men's gold-medal Olympic hockey team! Come on in!" said the president.

"USA! USA! USA!" chants erupted from the members.

"I just want to say ... a very big congratulations to Team USA," said the president.

The president praised the team before announcing that he would be giving goalie Connor Hellebuyck the highest civilian honor: the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

"What a special job you did! What special champions you are!" said the president. "Thank you very much!"

The men's team won a thrilling match against the Canadian team in overtime Sunday to take the gold for the U.S. for the first time in 46 years.

Earlier Tuesday, the team visited the White House as guests of the president. While some expressed anger that the team accepted the invite from the president, New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes defended the decision.

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"Everything is so political. We’re athletes," he said Monday evening. "We’re so proud to represent the U.S., and when you get the chance to go to the White House, meet the president, you know, we’re proud to be Americans, that’s so patriotic. No matter what your views are, we’re super excited to go to the White House and just be part of that."

The women's hockey team also took the gold at the Olympics, but they declined the invite from the president after citing previously scheduled commitments.

Hughes also defended the decision from the women's team.

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"People are so negative out there, and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing," he said.

"I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them. And we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us," he added.

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