Trump's Olympic Joke Sparks Debate Over Women's Hockey Gold
Team USA women's hockey captain Hilary Knight is firing back at President Trump's comments about her gold medal-winning team, calling his remarks a "distasteful joke" that overshadows American Olympic success.
During a February 22 phone call congratulating the men's hockey team on their gold medal victory over Canada, Trump joked about bringing the women's team to the White House, saying if he didn't, "I do believe I probably would be impeached."
Knight, who served as Team USA's closing ceremony flag bearer, didn't hold back in her ESPN "SportsCenter" interview. "I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke, and unfortunately that is overshadowing a lot of the success, the success of just women at the Olympics carrying for Team USA and having amazing gold medal feats," she said.
Gold Medal Glory Gets Lost in Politics
The women's team made history on February 19, defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime thanks to Megan Keller's clutch goal. This marked their third gold medal in program history and created a rare double gold moment with both men's and women's teams winning simultaneously.
While the men's team accepted Trump's State of the Union invitation on February 24, the women's team declined to attend.
Knight emphasized the genuine support between the men's and women's teams, saying there's a "genuine level of support there, and respect." She believes this positive relationship is being forgotten due to the controversy.
Focus on American Excellence
Despite the political noise, Knight remains focused on celebrating American achievement. "We're just trying to focus on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history," she stated.
The team captain used the moment as a teaching opportunity, noting it's "a really good learning point to really focus on how we talk about women, not only in sport but in industry."
Ellen Hughes, mother of NHL stars Jack and Quinn Hughes and a Team USA women's hockey consultant, offered a unifying perspective: "At the end of the day, it's just about the country. These players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country."
Knight had previously expressed complete confidence in her team's gold medal potential, telling TODAY hosts after the victory, "There wasn't a doubt in my mind that this team was gonna win a gold medal."