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In November 2025, the Trump administration announced a special park pass commemorating the nations 250th anniversary that featured images of two presidents: George Washington and Donald Trump. Featuring the current presidentin place of the National Park Services usual landscape picturestriggered both a lawsuit and a social media movement to put stickers over Trumps face. As a businessman, Trump has frequently emblazoned buildings and consumer productsshoelaces, an airline, an edition of the Bible, among many otherswith his own name. During his current presidential term, his administration has put his name on numerous government propertiesperhaps most famously the Kennedy Center, but also money, monuments, and military equipment. In January 2026, Trump floated the idea Congress would rename both New Yorks Penn Station and Washingtons Dulles International Airport after him. With Florida lawmakers considering renaming the airport near Mar-a-Lago after the president, the Trump Organization has filed an application to trademark his name for use in airports and ancillary activities, although the company said it would not charge a fee in the case of the Palm Beach airport. As a communication professor who studies the First Amendment, I was intrigued by the federal actions and the protests theyve triggered. Citizens certainly have the right to protest these decisions, like any government action. The First Amendment prevents the government from making laws that abridge freedom of speech. But does the federal government itself have freedom of speech? And can a president put his name and image wherever he wants? Free speech for government The answer to the first question has already been answered. In a series of rulings, the Supreme Court has upheld the government speech doctrine, which allows the government as speaker to say whatever it wants. Moreover, if the forum is governmental, the government may even be able to compel people to express its messagesfor example, with public employee speech that is part of job duties. The 2006 Supreme Court decision establishing that principle involved a deputy district attorney whod questioned the validity of a warrant, but the rule applies to other employees, such as teachers who have to offer instruction in state-mandated curricula. The courts decisions in government speech cases imply that if people do not like the government speech, they should change the government with their votes. However, some scholars and advocates argue that this relatively new constitutional doctrine gives the government too much power to drown out other viewpoints in the marketplace of ideas. In most instances, the government cannot compel speech or force citizens to express a certain message. Compelled speech is not allowed when the government is forcing a citizen to endorse an ideological message. For example, the Supreme Court allowed a Jehovahs Witness to cover the words or Die on his license plate, which included the New Hampshire state motto, Live Free or Die. The First Amendment is not absolute, and some government regulations will infringe on speech. The federal government has strict regulations on how the American flag should be disposed of, but it cannot punish someone who is burning a flag as a form of political protest. Government control of its own products What happens when the government itself hosts forums for citizen speech, such as placing monuments in a park or flying flags on government property? Can the government deny certain speech based on the speaker or message? In such cases, courts have had to decipher whether the forum was purely governmental. To do so, they examine the history of the forum in which the contested speech takes place, who controls the forum, and the public perception of who controls it. This brings us back to the question of Trumps name and likeness. As a constitutional matter, the Trump administration can express itself as it sees fit under the government speech doctrine. But in some cases, the administration may be bound by statute or formal contracts, as with the legal battle over the naming of the Kennedy Center, which was named by an act of Congress. The awsuit over the National Park passes claims that the administration is violating a federal law requiring that the winning entry in a public lands photo contest be used for the passes. Still, I believe it would be difficult to win a lawsuit claiming that the new passes are a form of compelled speech, with bearers of the pass arguing they are being forced, in effect, to endorse Trump. Most people would likely see the park passes artwork as being controlled by the government and therefore a form of government expression, not a form of private expression. Can people cover up Trump? But the Trump administration may not be able to defend its policy of declaring passes null and void if the presidents image is covered by a sticker. Citizens protesting Trumps appearance by covering up the presidents image is protected speech, in my view. The governments action to void the passes is likely a violation of the First Amendment. On the face of it, placing stickers on passes would appear to violate the long-standing Interior Department rule that passes are void if altered. Those regulations were content neutral and incidental to any particular message or cardholder. However, the updated policy, voiding the pass if Trumps image is covered or marred, is more suspect. The new rules seem to be a direct response to the protesters political speech and, as applied, primarily aim to affect these stickers and speakers. With an administration known for its social media savviness, it may not be convincing for officials to argue they did not know about the protest or that the policy was not a direct attempt to chill such speech. The government will have the right to put Trumps name and images on more government property in many cases, but most resulting political protests, in my view, will also be protected speech. Jason Zenor is an associate professor of mass communication at the State University of New York Oswego. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics may be winding down, but the memories will linger for years to come. The competition began on Wednesday, February 4, with the official opening ceremony on Friday, February 6. A little more than two weeks later, the Games will conclude with an epic closing ceremony on Sunday, February 22. So much action was packed into the event that it was a full-time job keeping up. Since a lot of people have actual full-time jobs, heres a look back at the highlights, endearing moments, and heartbreaks of the XXV Olympic Winter Games. How can I track 2026 Winter Olympics medals? First things first. You can stay up to date with all of the medals and medalists who have emerged victorious this winter with this handy medal count tracker on Olympics.com. Now for the highlights. The first gold medal of the Games While it is quite an impressive accomplishment to even qualify for the Olympic Games, lets be realmost athletes want to win it all. Franjo von Allmen got to live out his wildest dreams when he took home the first medal of the Games for Switzerland in the mens downhill alpine skiing event. He liked winning gold so much that he did it again two more times. His story off the slopes highlights the power of community. When von Allmen lost his father when he was just 17 years old, it appeared that his skiing aspirations might have to be put on hold because of finances. Instead, those around him crowdfunded so the young athlete could continue to pursue his dreams. Team USAs first gold medal The first gold medal for Team USA came in the women’s alpine skiing downhill event. Breezy Johnsons time of 1 minute, 36.10 seconds, bested Germanys Emma Aicher by a mere 0.04 seconds. Johnson is now one of only two American women to win the Olympic downhill. Her gold medal? Well, it broke shortly after Johnson was presented it. Thankfully, she eventually got a replacement. Lindsey Vonns Crash The other American woman to win a gold medal in alpine downhill skiing is Lindsey Vonnshe won it in 2010. She also has two bronze medals, one for the Super-G (2010) and the other for alpine downhill (2018). On the same day of Johnsons win (February 8), Vonns 2026 Olympic medal dreams came to an unfortunate end when she crashed and fractured her left leg. Curling baby A happier Olympic moment involves the 1-1/2-year-old son of Swiss curlers Briar Schwaller-Huerlimann and Yannick Schwaller. After his parents won their opening game in overtime, River took to the ice to get in on the action. Fans thought he looked adorable with the curling broom. Its never too early to begin your Olympic dreams. A shirtless celebration On the opposite side of the age spectrum, Austrian Benjamin Karl could not contain his excitement after winning gold in the men’s parallel giant slalom snowboard event. After the medal ceremony, he ripped off his shirt to celebrate the achievement. It was his second consecutive win in the event, having also taken home gold in 2022. Karl proves that age is just a number, as his latest victory makes him the oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympic history, at 40 years and 115 days old. This title was short-lived, as Elana Meyers Taylors life experience uncrowned Karl shortly after (see below). Favorite foods of Olympic athletes No matter how old they are, competitors have to fuel their bodies to compete. Communal meals in the athlete villages are there to help. In Paris, chocolate muffins were all the rage. Meanwhile, several social media posts have celebrated different cuisines in Milan and Cortina. Lava cake and tiramisu seem to be the sweet-treat favorites of the 2026 Games. For carb-loading purposes, pasta was served in the shape of the Olympic rings. This meal was a triple threat: delicious, pretty, and practical. Ilia Malinins backflip Backflips were once a no-no in the figure skating world. American Terry Kubicka made history at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, when he successfully landed the move in competition for the first time. The next year, the International Skating Union banned it, citing safety and technical reasons. Backflips involve taking off and landing on two feet, whereas other jumps only utilize one foot. The move didnt disappear from figure skating completely, even though it was outlawed. Many athletes chose to execute the move in exhibition skates. In the 1998 Nagano Games, French skater Surya Bonaly added it to her routine. Last year, the International Skating Union reversed the ban, paving the way for American skater Ilia Malinin to do his thing in 2026. Malinin was dubbed the “Quad God” because of his ability to land a quadruple axel in competitions while continuing to raise the technical stakes even higher. He was the clear favorite to win gold in mens singles figure skating. After the short program, he was even five points ahead of the pack. But he fell twice during the long program, resulting in an eighth-place finish. Despite his heartbreak, he immediately congratulated gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorovteaching the world how to lose with grace. However, Malinin did take home a gold medal from the earlier team skating event, and it’s doubtful the Olympics have seen the last of him. American womens hockey takes home gold Things have long been tense between the United States and Canada, and we are not talking tariffs. The long-lasting rivalry between the womens hockey teams was on full display in the 2026 Winter Games. This time around, Team USA took home the gold after a nail-biting final matchup. Amercan captain Hilary Knight scored the goal that tied the game, forcing an overtime battle. This set up Megan Keller to net the final nail in Canadas defeat. The crowd went wild. Among the loudest supporters of the women were Haley Winns older brothers: Casey, Ryan, and Tommy Winn. This trio went viral for wearing over-the-top matching outfits and posting their support on social media. The Winn familys home videos also show how Haleys brothers were instrumental in teaching her the love of the game. Figure skating gold medal More good news on the ice: Team USAs 24-year gold medal drought in womens figure skating was put to an end by Alysa Liu. The 20-year-old had walked away from the sport when she was 16 because she was burned out. After the short program, she was in third place. Her impressive performance to Donna Summers “MacArthur Park” focused on joy. This propelled her to win that gold medal. A Canadian curling scandal A less joyous occasion occurred when two Canadian curlers were accused of cheating. The first incident took place on Friday, February 13, when Canada was up against Sweden. Canadian Marc Kennedy was accused of double-touching the stone, which is against the rules. He had some heated words for his opponent Oskar Eriksson. The following day, a similar incident happened when Canadian women’s captain Rachel Homan faced more cheating accusations. These events caused the World Curling governing body to further explain the rules of the game. The sport does not use video playback, so no retroactive penalties are added, as on-ice calls are considered final. A wolfdog gets in on the action Who said humans get to have all the fun at the Winter Olympics? Not this four-legged friend. During the women’s cross-country skiing team sprint, Nazgul wanted to play. This 2-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog may not have won a gold medal, but he sure stole everyones hearts. Sturla Holm Lgreids confession They say cheaters never prosper, but Sturla Holm Lgreid has won five medals at the time of this writingthree silver and two bronze in the various individual and relay biathlon events (cross-country skiing and rifle shooting). While Lgreids athletic feats are impressive, he went viral for another dramatic reason instead. During a live on-camera interview, he admitted to cheating on his ex-girlfriendin an attempt to get her back. While this could be considered a grand romantic gesture, his ex does not appear to think so and issued a statement saying she wishes she wasnt in the spotlight. Elana Meyers Taylors bobsled victory Elana Meyers Taylor, 41, is no stranger to Olympic competition. She debuted in 2010 and has medaled in all five of her appearances. Milano Cortina was her retirement year, and boy did she go out on top, winning her first gold medal. She was victorious in the monobob, a one-person bobsled event. Her triumph was earned by being 0.04 seconds faster than Germany’s Laura Nolte. This mother of two almost gave up feeling guilty about the time the sport took her away from her family. This makes the viral moment of her signing to her boys that she won even sweeter. Chloe Kims sportsmanship American Chloe Kim is the golden girl of snowboarding. She was heavily favored to win gold in this years games, defending her 2022 win. This was not how it went down on the halfpipe. Instead, South Koreas Gaon Choi took home gold, with Kim taking home silver. In a wonderful display of sportsmanship (instead of getting angry), Kim immediately went over to celebrate with her 17-year-old rival. The sweetness didnt start there. Even before the games, Kims family helped bring Choi to the United States to train after seeing her potential, despite playing for different countries and teams. Kim saw herself in Choi and acted as a mentor. Perhaps thats the true meaning of the games after all.
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Alysa Liu, who quit skating at 16, didn’t ‘need’ a gold medal, she told reporters in Milanshe had already found joy. The 20-year-old from California, who won the first individual Olympic gold in womens figure skating for the U.S. after 24 years, didn’t need to be champion. She says she was just thrilled to perform. “I don’t need this [medal],” Liu said right after winning, full of joy, while cheering on her competitors. “But what I needed was the stage and I got that, so I was all good. No matter what happened.” Liu isn’t feigning enthusiasm for the cameras. You can feel it radiating from her body when watching her skatewhich she did, flawlessly, when performing to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park” this week in the long program routine that ultimately won her first place. “That’s what I’m fing talking about!” she could be heard saying as she skated off the ice, knowing she’d just done something magical. Later, standing on the podium, she adorably jumped for joy, squealed, and hugged her competitors. It felt like she was sharing her bright light with them, and everyone watching in the audience, and at home. The moment was truly special. Mainly, because one thing was made crystal clear: Alysa Liu came to the Olympics for the love of the sportnot for a bronze, silver, or gold medal. It goes without saying that most athletes love their sport. But they also want to win. However, Liu’s journey has been different from that of most young athletes’, in more ways than one. Just four years ago, the skater quit, citing burnout after a sixth place finish at the Beijing Winter Games. Burnout easily comes with the territory when you’re a professional athlete. However, Liu focused on herselfon being a teenagerand finding joy outside of the rink. “I was going to concerts, which I never could have done before,” she told NBC Sports. “I also got my driver’s license. I did a whole year at college. I went on vacation for the first time. I went skiing. I went snowboarding. I got to do so many different things that I never would have done had I stayed in the sport.” The step back was crucial for many reasons, like saving the Olympians mental health. But it’s also likely what saved her from quitting skating forever, because she was able to invest in herself in other ways. . .and simply be a kid for a while. At the end of the day, Liu returned to competing because she simply loved skating too much to stay away. One of her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo, even tried to talk her out of it, but her spirit was unstoppable. Alysa is different, said DiGuglielmo, who coaches Liu alongside Massimo Scali, per NBC. We know she wasnt here to win a medal. She was here to skate and to enjoy it. These titles are huge, but I dont want them to overshadow who I am and what I do and what I am all about, Liu said. Winning isnt all that, and neither is losing. All you have to do is watch Liu perform to know that the most important thing to the spirited athlete is not medals. It’s her true love of the sport and a profound joy at getting to keep doing it. And that was something she found before setting one skate on the ice in Milan.
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