Hilary Knight Responds Trump
Hilary Knight emphasized the "incredible" support received by the U.S. women's hockey team after controversial Trump remarks. She used the moment to highlight the importance of championing women's sports both on and off the ice.
The controversial remarks came after both the U.S. women's and men's hockey teams won gold medals at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. In a call to the men's team's locker room, Donald Trump joked he would "probably be impeached" if he didn't also invite the women's team to the White House, a comment met with laughter from the male players. Hilary Knight, a five-time Olympic medalist and captain of the women's team, publicly labeled the president's comment a "distasteful joke." She stated that the remark was unfortunately overshadowing the incredible accomplishments of all female Olympians for Team USA. The women's team subsequently declined an invitation to attend the State of the Union address, citing "previously scheduled academic and professional commitments." This decision followed widespread online criticism aimed at both Trump for the comment and the men's players for their reaction. Knight's response came less than a decade after she was a leading voice in the U.S. Women's National Team's 2017 fight for equitable pay and support from USA Hockey. The team had threatened to boycott the World Championships that year until a more equitable contract was negotiated. The incident prompted some men's players to express their respect for the women's team's achievements. In the absence of a formal response from USA Hockey, hip-hop artist Flavor Flav stepped in and invited the women's team to a celebratory event in Las Vegas, an offer the team accepted. Knight later appeared on "Saturday Night Live" alongside some of her teammates and members of the men's team. In a scripted joke, she turned the tables, saying, "It was going to be just us, but we thought we'd invite the guys, too."
