‘What was so funny?’: Hockey fans call out US men’s team for laughing at Trump’s speech
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You’d be forgiven for thinking that USA Hockey’s latest Instagram post congratulating the men’s team on their Olympic gold medal win is, in fact, a post about the women’s team.
This is because many speeches – and there are more than 12,000 – celebrate the women’s hockey team, which also won gold in the competition. Milano-Cortina Olympic Games.
And it’s because video showing US President Donald Trump joking with the men’s team after their win – saying he “should” invite a team of women to the White House, and showing a few male players laughing – there are many hot hockey fans.
“So like I said … so proud of the WOMEN’S hockey team for winning gold,” one person said in an Instagram post with a photo of the 2026 men’s hockey team. That comment has been “liked” more than 34,000 times.
“I’m very proud of the women’s hockey team! The men’s hockey team…. Not so much,” another wrote.
“Out of curiosity, what was so funny about inviting a group of women?” asked another commenter.
Last Sunday, Trump invited the gold medal-winning US men’s hockey team to the White House during a phone call to congratulate the players as they celebrated in the Italian locker room after their victory over Canada.
In extending the invitation, Trump said, “I’ve got to tell you, we’re going to have to bring a group of women, you know that.”
Several players can be heard laughing, while one can be heard saying, “Absolutely.”
Online criticism has been swift, with people on social media calling out the team for being complicit in denigrating female athletes, not standing up to Trump’s comments and reversing any gains recently made when it comes to toxic masculinity in hockey.
The headline of a column in USA Today said the men’s team “completely failed to meet the cultural moment.” In the Guardian, Toronto writer Colin Horgan wrote that by attending the State of the Union speech in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, the men’s hockey team showed that “In Trump’s America, intimacy has never been a side.” And NBC wrote that Trump’s comments sparked a “culture war.”
“Trump’s comments indicate that women were an afterthought and were only considered because of the potential negative consequences,” Angela Schneider, Olympic silver medalist in judging and director of the International Center for Olympic Studies at Western University in London, Ont., told CBC News.
“He tried to make a joke, but the women didn’t find it funny – especially since the USA women’s team has won more medals than all men’s sports and several Olympic Games.”
20 members of the gold medal-winning US men’s hockey team visited the White House and attended the state of the union address, a request denied by the women’s team.
The women’s team should check the schedules
When we presented the organization’s speech on Tuesday night, Trump announced that the women’s hockey team, “soon” will visit the White House. The women’s group had it previously declined the invitation due to address time.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for USA Hockey told CBC News that the decision on whether the women’s team will visit the White House depends on the players’ schedules.
“The players have returned to compete with their professional teams and are in the middle of their season,” said the spokesperson.
“They are honored and grateful to be invited and any opportunity to visit the White House as a team will be supported in their plans when their seasons end.”
A reporter on Wednesday directly asked two members of the U.S. women’s team if they felt disrespected or disrespected by Trump’s comments and the reaction in the locker room.
Laila Edwards, who plays defensive end, did not respond. Her teammate Caroline Harvey, who plays the same position, said the team was very happy to return with a gold medal.
“It’s not something we’re really focused on or thinking about. We’re moving forward,” said Harvey, speaking to reporters at the University of Wisconsin. “We did what we did there, and we’re proud of our team.”
In an interview with ESPN’s SportsCenter on Wednesday, women’s team captain Hilary Knight said of Trump’s comments: “I thought it was a bad joke, and unfortunately that overshadowed the great success, the success of women in the Olympics for Team USA and having amazing gold medals.”
But he added that the men’s and women’s teams have “a real level of support … and respect” for each other that is “overshadowed by quick mistakes.”
Olympic team member Kelly Pannek, who plays for the Minnesota Frost, also spoke Wednesday about the level of support for the men’s team. But as for the video circulating of Trump’s comments about the women’s group, “It is what it is,” she said. “It’s not surprising, frankly. So I don’t know why we expect anything different.”
Team USA women’s hockey players were asked on Wednesday if they felt “disrespected or belittled in any way” by Donald Trump’s phone call to the men’s team, with the players laughing when the US president joked that he should invite the women’s team to the White House. Defender Caroline Harvey said the call was ‘not our focus’ and they were delighted to bring home Olympic gold.
‘We should have reacted differently’
As other members of the U.S. men’s national team returned to their team practice on Wednesday, several players spoke in a speech that echoed Trump’s comments.
“We should have reacted differently,” Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman said in response to a reporter’s question.
“We know that we are very happy with the women’s team. We have a lot of respect for the women’s team. Sharing this gold medal with them is something we are always grateful for.”
Others, like New York Rangers captain JT Miller, spoke about the honor of being invited to visit the Angry House and their support for the women’s team.
“I “I took my daughter to see, I think, two or three of their games, and the gold medal game,” Miller said.
Jeremy Swayman: “We should have reacted differently” to President Trump’s comments about the women’s group.
“We know that we really appreciate the women’s team. pic.twitter.com/YJwPmFSb1z
But others, like Vincent Trocheck, also in charge of the Rangers, expressed disappointment that the situation had been politicized.
“It’s sad that it turned into a political thing when we really wanted to represent everyone here and everyone in our country as well as we could,” Trocheck told reporters.
And Jack Hughes, who scored the game-winner in OT, lamented the setback in an interview with the Daily Mail.
“People are negative out here, and they’re just trying to find a reason to put people down and do something about something trivial,” he said.
‘We must respect these women’
As many female athletes may know, what happened in the men’s locker room is just one example of the misogyny and sexism that still exists, as women’s sports continue to suffer. meteoric rise to fame, breaking the ranks and viewership records.
“Every woman and girl who has ever been ostracized or laughed at because of being an athlete feels that call and laughter in their bones,” said an analyst on USA Hockey’s Instagram.
For example, the 2024 report from Canadian Women & Sport how he highlighted sexism still hampers women’s professional sports and investment decisions.
Female athletes are also often paid less than their male counterparts and receive less media coverage, notes UK’s Women in Sport.
“Sports has made significant progress in the inclusion of women, but moments like these remind us of the work still to be done,” Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women & Sport, told CBC News.
“These women deserve our respect – stop.”
Still, Schneider, of Western University, said he was somewhat surprised by Trump’s comments and the group’s reaction with laughter, calling the latter “immature.”
But, he added, “it is Trump, who is not at all compatible with the development of women, as he has clearly shown in his actions both personally and politically.”
