Knight Criticizes Trump’s Comments on Women’s Hockey Team

Hilary Knight expressed her discontent with President Donald Trump’s “nasty jokes” regarding the U.S. women’s hockey team. After inviting the U.S. men’s hockey team to the State of the Union address, Trump made a remark implying he had to include the women’s team after their gold medal win, saying otherwise, “I think he’d probably be impeached.”

“I found that joke rather unpleasant,” Knight, the captain of the women’s team, stated during a game. “It unfortunately overshadows our achievements, especially being the only women’s team representing the U.S. at the Olympics and our significant gold medal success.” She shared her thoughts on “Sports Center” on Wednesday.

“We want to highlight the remarkable accomplishments of the women in our audience,” she added, emphasizing the need to celebrate the program’s record of three gold medals for women and men simultaneously. “Such offensive jokes shouldn’t undermine that.”

In the wake of social media backlash, U.S. men’s stars Jack and Quinn Hughes voiced their concerns about the situation, showing support for their female counterparts and recognizing their pride in sharing the ice with them.

Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman admitted that the men’s team “should have responded differently” to Trump’s sarcastic comments, noting their excitement for the women’s achievements. “We have immense respect for the women’s team, and sharing the gold medal with them is something we will always cherish,” he mentioned.

Knight acknowledged the difficult position the men’s players were in, stating, “There’s a real level of support and respect there. It’s unfortunate that this situation has overshadowed the genuine interest and encouragement for each other.” She hopes that the beneficial connection between the teams isn’t lost amidst the controversy.