'Women aren't less than': Team USA women's hockey players respond to Trump's joke

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

Feb. 25, 2026, 6:52 PM EST / Updated Feb. 25, 2026, 10:57 PM EST


Members of Team USA's women's hockey team say they don't want their Olympic gold medal achievement to be overshadowed by the backlash over President Donald Trump's joke about having to invite them to the White House during a call to the men's team.

Trump called the men's hockey team, still celebrating in the locker room after its own 2-1 gold medal win against Canada on Sunday, and invited the men to Tuesday's State of the Union address.

But his joke during the phone call about also having to invite the women and the subsequent laughter from the men, which was captured on video and circulated widely on social media, set off a firestorm of criticism, with many expressing frustration that the joke diminished the women's achievement.

Women's team captain Hilary Knight said Wednesday on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” that she found the joke “distasteful” but that she also felt the men’s team was “in a tough spot.” “I think this is just a really good learning point to really focus on, you know, how we talk about women,” Knight said. “Not only in sport, but in industry. Women aren’t less than, and our achievements shouldn’t be overshadowed by anything else other than how great they are.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/women-arent-less-team-usa-womens-hockey-players-respond-trumps-joke-rcna260725

[groundloop]

1. And to be honest the men's team got lucky

They were outplayed for almost the entire game by Canada and caught a lucky break in overtime. The women's team played a much better game.

[liberalgunwilltravel]

3. They were lucky

In that their goal tender was incredible. Canada had 42 shots on goal to the US' 28. However, the game winning goal was something to behold, great defense, great pass, and a great one timer. But none of that makes up for the lack of class some of the men's players displayed. And all of it underscores the class that the women's team exhibited. I was actually hoping the men's team didn't win so that when the women refused to be used as a prop by the Pedophile-in-Chief, it would have been all that much sweeter.

[paleotn]

20. No matter what happened on the ice

The men’s medals will always be tarnished by what happened after the game. In the contest of decency and good sense, they failed miserably. They can go to hell.

[liberalgunwilltravel]

37. Agree

1,000,000%

[SunSeeker]

55. Yup. Fuck those MAGA hat wearing dipshits.

Link to tweet

And that USA hat Jack Hughes wore was also from Trump merch store, it says "45-47" on the sides:

[MadameButterfly]

57. The men were being used by Trump as a prop

The men were on a call from the president, high off of their win, and laughing at a battery of harmless jokes. Then Trump snuk in the mysogenistic one. i think some laughed almost automatically because they that was what they had--so far appropriately--been doing. There was no time to reflect. If there were some--even a majority--who didn't laugh, we wouldn't be hearing their silence.

Statistically there will be some MAGAs on the team. Some will just want to enjoy attention from a president. The anti-Trumper's will behave with respect. None of them initiated insults against the women.

I really think they were being used by Trump as a prop, and he pulled them into his disfunction. No one should have to worry about being put in such a position by a president.

I'm glad some expressed their regret after the incident, and their respect for the women's team. And I have even more admiration for the women for sending that respect right back, understanding the difficult position the men were in.

[Jilly_in_VA]

44. They were lucky

in that KashYAP didn't invade THEIR locker room and throw beer around!

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Probably 1/2 of the NHL players

ARE Canadian!

[Harker]

11. Very nearly.

Of the 871 players in the NHL, 403 are Canadians.

[IbogaProject]

17. So less than half Anerican

As there are many European players too.

[Harker]

29. 267 Americans, all the others are Europeans...

except for the lone Australian.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. Yup.

When I first saw who both men and women would play in the finals, it was the first thing that came to mind (although obviously the men hadn't won gold in over 45 years and women in 28 years, but most times we were playing against Canada in both tournaments, in the finals).

[Wiz Imp]

34. Currently, about 42% of all NHL players are from Canada

Only about 28% are from the US. About 10% are from Sweden, about 7% from Russia and 5% from Finland. The rest are spread out amongst a bunch of other countries.

https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/nationality-totals/active-nhl-players-career-stats.html

[SergeStorms]

16. The U.S. Team was outplayed by the Canadian Team....

In every respect but one: Goalkeeper. And even then, not by much.
Hellebuyck was in a other world with his goalkeeping. The Canadian Team out-shot the U.S. team by almost a 2-1 margin, but Hellebuyck turned them all away, save one.
The U.S. Men had nothing to get cocky about. They were lucky.
I'm willing to bet the Big Mouth in Chief has never watched a hockey game in his entire life. He always wants to glom-on to others people's accomplishments, like HE had a part in it.

[Bev54]

24. I totally agree, and I don't like the 3 on 3 overtime, it is BS. It is for the top medal, play till you drop

The men got lucky because Canada dominated the game, but as a Canadian I say the women deserved the gold medal, they out played our women. We definitely need some younger players on our team.

[Bengus81]

2. They didn't go to the SOTU so are they going to the WH?

I haven't heard.........

[Karma13612]

9. If you mean the women's team, I thought

they turned down the invitation to the white house.

[paleotn]

21. They did.

[lavoosh99]

22. And With Good Reason

Wasting time and money travelling to DC to eat cold hamberders and soggy fries with a lunatic pedo rapist felon? Pass.

[Karma13612]

58. Absolutely...

There is no honor dining with the Felon-in-Chief

[Bev54]

25. No they turned it down as well. They are too busy.

[niyad]

4. Except, it wasn't a joke, coming from the misogynist sexual predator.

Ms. Knight was most diplomatic. And quite correct to point out how we talk about women. The unthinking, casual sexism is so deeply embedded many do not even see it.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. It's part of that "manosphere" shit

that Democrats are supposed to "embrace".

[niyad]

7. One would think that several thousand years of patriarchy ("manosphere")

would suffice. It appears not.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. The many millennia philosophy

is that they are at the top of the food chain and that lofty position will not be undermined.

[niyad]

10. Sadly true.

[travelingthrulife]

13. So many perpetually aggrieved white males in this country. Far too much privilege given to them

[paleotn]

23. Back in the day, we called it

being a fucking assholes. Acting like whiny ass babies. We should still call it that.

[Iggo]

30. To them, it was a joke.

It may be hard for people to understand jock humor, but it’s real easy to explain.

It’s like this: If they’re not being dicks, it’s not funny. Cruelty IS the joke.

That’s it. That’s all there is to it.

Signed — An Ex-Jock

[3catwoman3]

53. TSF doesn't know the meaning of a joke. His classless comments are never funny...

...and he means exactly what he says when he claims to be joking or using sarcasm.

[Scalded Nun]

12. Ladies, I am afraid you are quite mistaken in your thought/suspicions

Trump and the rest of the GOP have always, and will always, think of you as 'less than'. Do not expect that to change.

They are scum, and should be treated as such.

[calimary]

15. This!

You’re NOT gonna teach Donald, Mr. Catastrophic Disgrace, any new tricks. Especially any that might possibly help him climb out of the pit he’s dug for himself.

YOU built this, Donald. Now live in it.

[LisaL]

14. What I find ironic is that

hockey players are held to a higher standard than the president. They laughed at the joke. He is the one who made it.

[SergeStorms]

19. The bar has always been set extremely low.....

for tRump, for some unknown reason. Biden-Harris were held to much higher standards than tRump. Why the Pedophile-in-Chief isn't held to more lofty standards is the fault of Congressional republicans. They lower themselves to his level instead of demanding more from him.
They're all sniveling cowards.

[samnsara]

27. listening to some of the critques on YouTube made it clear..

.....this is a rich kids sport and they are probably trumpers anyway......

[BumRushDaShow]

32. Being in the city of the infamous "Broad Street Bullies"

I wouldn't say it was a "rich kids sport". It always seemed to be more a "working class white" sport, evolved out of "street hockey" and then moving onto the ice... This is because many of the teams get populated by kids right out of high school vs out of college, the latter of which you see in pro sports like football and basketball (and sometimes baseball but not as much there either).

I.e., the players start young (although nowadays, the basketball players are joining much younger).

[Wiz Imp]

36. It hasn't always been a rich kids sport. But now it is.

[BumRushDaShow]

38. The "rich kids"

are doing polo (and various "dressage" things), as well as cricket, lacrosse and field hockey... And if they do "skating", it's figure skating with pro coaches. I have seen the rinks all around here (used to go to one as a kid and one of my nieces frequented one for years and discovered the pro rinks).

[Wiz Imp]

39. Hockey is an expensive sport for kids to participate in at this point

compared to basketball, football & Baseball. There's a reason less than 1/3 of NHL players are from the US.

[BumRushDaShow]

42. For all the safety gear yes

but it starts in the streets and if parents want their kids to do "more", the schools will have fundraisers and will pass the equipment down to the younger ones (big "used" market).

When I used to take my niece to the nearby rink for her practices, I watched her and her class skating on one half of the rink and the young boys doing their hockey practices on the other half. They put up cones in the center to demarcate the areas. I would even see wee ones - literally 3, 4, and 5 year olds, learning to skate on ice and handle the motions, including getting back up after falling.

If anything, like how you saw Norway dominate the Winter Olympics this year, it's a "northern climate" sport. For those who live in places with frozen tundra more than 6 - 8 months out of the year, they often end up on skates or skis. And Canada (except places like British Columbia being on the Pacific coast) fits that bill.

[berksdem]

41. As a Philadelphian that has played

Jr Hockey and coached it is a rich kid sport these days. travel, equipment, ice fees and player fees these days are ridiculous. if you are any good and play tier 1 travel you will be paying thousands of dollars per year.

[BumRushDaShow]

43. That's if you're not in the "used equipment" market

It never was really a "college" sport though. The players get pulled much younger.

The "college sports" obviously require $$$$ for attending the school alone, and obviously scholarships end up involved as well, so there is that extra cost (if they don't have the full monte in scholarship financing). And for both high school and college football, you have similar equipment needs.

But none of that compares to the "real rich kids" sports as I mentioned - cricket, polo (requiring horses), lacrosse and I suppose you can add tennis in there too.

[Jilly_in_VA]

45. It is in the northern US

particularly in the upper midwest. It has always been HUGE at Wisconsin, for instance. If I'm not mistaken, it's also pretty big at D-III schools up there, which don't get D-III money. Those kids play for love of the game. A lot of those are the kind of kids I went to HS with. We had a hockey team (boys only, of course, in those days) and a bunch of those guys went on to play in college back in the day, long before there was any money in it.

[BumRushDaShow]

46. All the frozen tundra areas!

I have cousins who grew up in NH and skiing was "the thing". One of them would go to Killington in VT every season. And that required the gear and lift tickets, etc.

If you live in those colder areas, you don't really need "indoor" rinks (and the cost to maintain them). You go to the nearest frozen ponds/lakes (or outdoor rinks set up for that purpose) and have at it!

Where I am and I expect where you are, equestrian riding and competing (and "dressage" ) is a "thing" and requires $$$$ just for the horse care, stables, saddles, and whatnot. It's a whole OTHER LEVEL of "rich" than ice hockey.

[Jilly_in_VA]

47. Nah

Leave that to the rich kids in NOVA. Where I am it's football and basketball, and for a lot of kids, soccer. There's a big Hispanic population here, as well as Middle Eastern kids and African kids whose dads are at JMU or other employers, so soccer is pretty big for girls as well as boys. Same in east Tennessee where my daughter is.

[BumRushDaShow]

48. And what you describe is what I meant by "rich kids"

And agree - soccer has pretty much taken over everywhere. It took a long time to get established in the U.S. starting at the youngest ages but now we're producing world class players! The U.S. Women's soccer team won gold in 2024.

[Jilly_in_VA]

49. I think even the "rich kids" here

play sports not involving sticks or animals. What you describe as "rich kids" here mostly go to either Eastern Mennonite High School, or Stuart Hall in Staunton, and Stuart Hall might have a girls field hockey team but ir it does nobody ever heard of it. The only other "rich kid" school around is Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, and they're in a whole other classification---probably a disciplinary alternative for kids like Shitler was, or kids whose parents don't want to be bothered with them most of the time. We pay them no attention, besides which, they're in another conference anyway.

[BumRushDaShow]

50. We have a bunch of old private "Academies" here in Philly and the surrounding area

and then there is "The Main Line", just outside of Philly, started back when the very wealthy built mansions along the railroad tracks (Pennsylvania Railroad).



People like 45 and Muskrat are considered "noveau riche" and 45 and his father, were always shunned by the NY elite and blue bloods.

[berksdem]

52. UM

Lacrosse is way cheaper than hockey. Want to play on a Tier 1 hockey team get ready to pay 15K just in dues. That is not equipment, travel, etc...

[BumRushDaShow]

54. But good luck finding a school that even offers lacrosse

In most cases (except for a tiny few exceptions) the tuition alone at those schools with a program, can easily runs 2 to 3 times that. And I won't even get into the equestrian programs.

ETA - and I won't even get into sculling. Philly has a whole area along the river dedicated to it -

[Bev54]

28. I look at this way, just because the president is a reprobate, doesn't mean they need to bring themselves

down to that level, unless of course they are already there. How many wives gave them hell for that?

[samnsara]

26. someone better inform trump they arent visiting him..

..he announced they were coming to the WH after all. NOT according to Hilary Knights interview this morning......shes pissed!!

[TexasBushwhacker]

59. Trump fed the men's team McDonald's

The womens' team got a gourmet Italian meal, courtesy of Stanley Tucci, during their time off before their winning game.

[Talitha]

31. If all the gold medals from both teams were laid side by side,

...would Dump be able to pick out which ones were from the Womens' Team?

[BumRushDaShow]

33. He didn't even recognize a pic of his 2nd wife.

[Danascot]

35. Everything trump touches ...

[generalbetrayus]

40. Trump never jokes. He just smiles as he spews out verbal diarrhea hoping his minions will laugh because it is hurtful

and they are psychopaths.

[Pluvious]

51. Everything he touches turns to shit

[LetMyPeopleVote]

56. The U.S. earned more gold and total medals in women's events than men's for the sixth straight Olympics

This makes me smile

Link to tweet