The captain of the United States Olympic women’s ice hockey team has criticized Donald Trump over what she described as a “sexist” remark made in the aftermath of the team’s gold medal triumph.
The controversy began during the U.S. men’s team’s championship celebrations, when the president phoned into the locker room to invite the players to attend the State of the Union at the White House.
According to reports, the call was over speakerphone, and Trump said: “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team. You do know that. I do believe I probably would be impeached [if the women’s team wasn’t invited].”
Some of the men’s players laughed, but five-time Olympic medallist Hilary Knight later criticized the comment.
Criticized Donald Trump’s “sexist” remark
Knight emphasized the focus on celebrating the women’s achievements: “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,” she said.
“We’re just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and continue to celebrate three gold medals in programme history as well as the double gold for both men’s and women’s at the same time. And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.”
The reaction sparked a debate. Speaking earlier in the week on Good Morning America, forward Jack Hughes pushed back. “People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support [the women’s team], how proud we are of them,” he said. “The same way we feel about them, they feel about us.”
“I don’t know why we’d expect differently”
Knight noted that the situation has overshadowed the mutual respect shared between them: “I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it’s a shame this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”
Kelly Pannek, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, offered a similar perspective: “We all know being there what it felt like to have [the men’s team’s] support throughout the tournament, to support them and how great of a moment it was for everyone that was a fan of both teams.
“The phone call specifically, it’s not surprising, to be frank. I don’t know why we’d expect differently.”
Meanwhile, U.S. men’s goaltender Jeremy Swayman acknowledged that the team could have responded differently in the moment: “We know that we’re so excited for the women’s team, we have so much respect for the women’s team,” he said. “To share that gold medal with them is something that we’re forever grateful for.”
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