Hilary Knight, captain of the U.S. Women’s ice hockey team, publicly characterized a comment made by President Donald Trump as a “distasteful joke,” overshadowing the team’s recent Olympic gold medal victory. The remark came during a phone call to the U.S. Men’s hockey team following their own gold medal win on Sunday, where Trump suggested he might be impeached if the women’s team wasn’t also invited to the State of the Union address.
Knight addressed the President’s comments on Wednesday during an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter, stating the joke detracted from the accomplishments of the women’s team and their success at the Winter Olympics. “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,” she said, according to reports.
The President’s comments, captured in a video that quickly went viral, prompted a range of reactions. While some members of the men’s team were seen laughing, at least one member of Team USA has expressed regret over the response. According to reports, the team should have reacted differently.
The incident has sparked discussion about the differing levels of recognition afforded to men’s and women’s sports and the political implications of athletes’ proximity to the President. Knight emphasized the strong relationship between the men’s and women’s teams, noting the respect and support they share.
As of Thursday, February 26, 2026, the White House has not issued a response to Knight’s comments. The U.S. Women’s hockey team is scheduled to hold a public celebration of their Olympic victory next week in Boston.
