U.S. Women's Hockey Star Criticizes Trump's 'Distasteful Joke'

Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight calls out the president's remarks about the women's team attending the State of the Union address.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight has spoken out against President Donald Trump's comments about the U.S. women's ice hockey team attending the State of the Union address. Knight called Trump's remarks a "distasteful joke" that overshadowed the team's historic gold medal win. The women's team declined the invitation due to prior commitments, while the men's team did attend the event.

Why it matters

Knight's criticism highlights the ongoing tensions between female athletes and the Trump administration, as well as the challenges women's sports teams face in receiving the same level of recognition and support as their male counterparts.

The details

After the U.S. women's ice hockey team won gold at the Olympics, FBI director Kash Patel celebrated with the men's team. Trump then invited the women's team to attend the State of the Union address, joking that he "probably would be impeached" if they weren't invited. Knight called the comment "distasteful" and said it overshadowed the team's success. The women's team declined the invitation due to prior commitments, while the men's team did attend the event.

  • The U.S. women's ice hockey team won gold at the Olympics on February 19, 2026.
  • Trump invited the women's team to the State of the Union address on February 24, 2026.

The players

Hilary Knight

A five-time Olympic medalist and member of the U.S. women's ice hockey team.

Donald Trump

The President of the United States.

Kash Patel

The Director of the FBI, who was celebrating with the men's hockey team.

Connor Hellebuyck

A goaltender for the U.S. men's hockey team who attended the State of the Union address.

Jack Hughes

A forward for the U.S. men's hockey team.

Quinn Hughes

Jack Hughes' brother and a member of the U.S. men's hockey team.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Hilary Knight, Olympic gold medalist (SportsCenter)

“People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker rooms knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them and we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us.”

— Jack Hughes, Forward, U.S. men's hockey team (Reporters in Miami)

“We're extremely happy for them. In the last couple summers we did a lot of training with them and got to know a lot of those girls really well.”

— Quinn Hughes, Member, U.S. men's hockey team (Good Morning America)

What’s next

The U.S. women's hockey team is expected to continue their victory tour and make public appearances to celebrate their historic gold medal win.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges female athletes face in receiving the same level of recognition and support as their male counterparts, even after achieving remarkable success. It also underscores the need for greater gender equity and respect in sports.