Rapinoe Criticizes U.S. Men's Hockey Team for Letting Trump "Use" Their Olympic Victory

The soccer star said the team "ruined" their moment of glory by allowing the president to "co-opt" their achievement.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Olympic soccer star Megan Rapinoe accused the U.S. men's hockey team of letting Donald Trump use their victory at the 2026 Winter Olympics for his own political gain. Rapinoe said the team "ruined" the joy of their win by "allowing themselves to be totally co-opted by a clown" when they laughed along with Trump's joke about also inviting the women's team to the White House.

Why it matters

Rapinoe's comments highlight the ongoing tensions between athletes, particularly women's teams, and the Trump administration. As a vocal critic of Trump, Rapinoe believes the men's hockey team missed an opportunity to stand up for themselves and their accomplishments by engaging with the president.

The details

During a call with the men's hockey team after their gold medal win, Trump invited them to the White House and joked that he'd "have to" also invite the women's team, which the men laughed at. Most of the men's team accepted the invitation, while the women's team declined. Rapinoe said the team "ruined" their moment of glory by allowing Trump to "co-opt" their achievement for his own political gain.

  • The U.S. men's hockey team won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday, February 22.
  • Trump called the team in their locker room after the win.
  • The team attended Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 24.

The players

Megan Rapinoe

A 40-year-old Olympic soccer star and two-time gold medalist who has been a vocal critic of President Trump.

Donald Trump

The 79-year-old former president of the United States who invited the U.S. men's hockey team to the White House after their Olympic victory.

Jeremy Swayman

A 27-year-old goalie for the U.S. men's hockey team who acknowledged the team should have "reacted differently" to Trump's invitation.

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What they’re saying

“And now you're a clown. You look like a clown,”

— Megan Rapinoe, Olympic Soccer Star (A Touch More podcast)

“We know that we are so excited for the women's team. We have so much respect for the women's team. To share that gold medal with them is something we're forever grateful for. Now that we're home, we get to share that together forever and see the incredible support that we have from the USA in sharing this incredible gold medal.”

— Jeremy Swayman, U.S. Men's Hockey Team Goalie (People)

The takeaway

Rapinoe's criticism highlights the ongoing tensions between athletes, particularly women's teams, and the Trump administration. The men's hockey team missed an opportunity to stand up for their accomplishments by engaging with a president they knew would try to co-opt their moment of triumph.