USA women’s hockey captain criticizes Trump’s White House invite as ‘distasteful joke’

United States Olympic women’s hockey captain, Hilary Knight has publicly criticized President Donald Trump over a White House comment she described as a “distasteful joke,” following Team USA’s historic double gold triumph at the Winter Olympics.

The controversy began after Trump phoned the men’s hockey team to congratulate them on their dramatic 2-1 overtime victory against Canada in the gold medal match. 

During the locker room celebration, Trump said the women’s team would also need to be invited to the White House, joking that he would “probably be impeached” if they were not. The remark was met with laughter from some players in the room.

Knight, speaking on ESPN, said the comment has overshadowed what should be a celebration of women’s accomplishments on the Olympic stage. She emphasized that the women’s gold medal victory secured with her crucial late equalizer in Milan marked the program’s third Olympic title and a major moment for USA hockey.

The women’s team previously declined an invitation to attend Trump’s State of the Union address, citing prior academic and professional commitments.

The situation sparked debate online after footage of the locker room exchange circulated widely. Men’s team goaltender Jeremy Swayman later acknowledged that the reaction in the room could have been handled differently, expressing respect and admiration for the women’s squad.

Forward Jack Hughes, who scored the men’s gold medal-winning overtime goal, said the team’s focus had simply been on celebrating their achievement. He noted that differing opinions were inevitable but stressed pride in representing the country and sharing in a rare double gold moment for American hockey.

Adding a lighter twist to the aftermath, rapper Flavor Flav, who supported Team USA during the Games, invited the women’s team to celebrate in Las Vegas. Knight welcomed the idea but noted that professional league and college commitments would delay any immediate festivities.

Despite the political tension, Knight underscored that both teams should be recognized for their historic performances rather than divided by off-ice controversy. She described the episode as a learning moment, encouraging greater respect in conversations surrounding women’s sports and achievements.

Both the men’s and women’s teams captured gold at the Milan-Cortina Games — a landmark week for USA hockey that many players say should remain the primary focus.