The Olympic gold medal-winning United States women’s hockey team is receiving support online after it declined an invite by the White House to attend the State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
The winning team, which beat Canada for the gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, cited ‘timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments’ as the reason behind their decline.
However, the team’s declining of the invite also came after a controversial phone call from President Donald Trump to the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team after they also beat Canada for a gold medal on Sunday, Feb. 22.
During the call, Trump invited the men’s team to the State of the Union and a White House visit, and offered to transport them on a military plane. He also said on the call, ‘I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that?’
The president added, jokingly, ‘I do believe I probably would be impeached’ if he didn’t invite the women’s team.
The phone call sparked discussion on social media with some upset about the president’s comments and laughter among the men, while others wanted to refocus on unity and country. See reactions.
Internet, celebrities support women’s hockey team for skipping White House
His wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, also supported the team’s decision to skip the event, writing: ‘Clearly they prefer arenas where women are actually respected!’
Actor Sophia Bush brought in a ‘Heated Rivalry reference,’ writing ‘our boyfriends would NEVER.’
‘@usahockey (obviously the women) you deserve better and you earned the world! We love you!’ Bush said in an Instagram post.
Some social media users not only expressed distaste over the president’s remarks but were also annoyed at the men’s team for laughing at the joke.
Jack Hughes: ‘People are so negative’
Hockey player Jack Hughes, who scored the game-winning goal against Canada, meanwhile, is seemingly unfazed by the criticism, telling the Daily Mail at a victory party in Miami: ‘Everything is so political.’
‘They’ve got busy schedules, too,’ Hughes told the media outlet. ‘Everyone is giving us backlash for all the social media stuff today. People are so negative out there, and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing.’
Hughes added his team wholly supported the women’s team and ‘everyone in that locker room 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.’
‘We’re athletes,’ Hughes added. ‘We’re so proud to represent the U.S., and when you get the chance to go to the White House and meet the president, we’re proud to be Americans and that’s so patriotic.’
Olympic mom Ellen Hughes reacts to Trump’s comment
‘These players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country,’ Hughes commented during an appearance on ‘Today’ Feb. 24. ‘People that cheered on that don’t watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side, and that’s all both the men’s team and the women’s team care about.’
Hughes added the ‘synergy’ between the two squads is ‘what it’s all about.’
‘If you could see what we see from the inside, and the men and women sharing, you know, dorm rooms and halls and flex floors and the camaraderie and the synergy and the way the women cheered on the men and the way the men cheered on the women — that’s what it’s all about,’ she said. ‘And the other things they cannot control. They care about humanity. They care about unity and they care about the country.’
Flavor Flav invites women’s team to Vegas
American rapper Flavor Flav, meanwhile, invited the women’s hockey team to Las Vegas for ‘some nice dinners and shows and good times’ to celebrate their achievement. It is not yet clear if the women’s team have accepted his offer, though a post on the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s Instagram said the team had accepted it. Several brands, including Alaska Airlines and Stubhub, also offered to help with the celebrations.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.