Megan Rapinoe Critiques U.S. Men’s Hockey Team’s Response to Trump

Former U.S. women’s soccer player Megan Rapinoe has voiced her criticism of the U.S. men’s hockey team’s reaction during a phone call with President Trump after their gold medal victory over Canada in Milan-Cortina. She referred to the players and the president as “clowns” for their comments regarding the women’s hockey team, which she deemed “trashy.”

In the latest episode of her podcast with WNBA star Sue Bird, Rapinoe discussed her interaction with Trump following the game. She took particular issue with Trump’s remark about women’s teams being invited to the upcoming State of the Union address, as well as the men’s hockey team’s response.

“The U.S. men’s hockey team was living out a childhood dream, a remarkable achievement, but they marred it by giving in to clowns. Now you look like a clown too,” she pointedly stated.

Without sharing the actual audio of her comments, Rapinoe emphasized, “We’re not going to platform that trash.” She acknowledged understanding the moment’s excitement but expressed disappointment in the men’s team’s lack of respect toward both themselves and their opponents.

“You let this person take away your moment, knowing they’ll exploit it for themselves,” she added.

Rapinoe also commented on the presence of FBI Director Kash Patel in the locker room during the celebration, reflecting on her own past and how she would have reacted differently. “Kash Patel is in the locker room, chugging beer. I wouldn’t stand for that. What are we doing?”

She remarked, “I would have never … allowed those guys in our locker room.”

Sue Bird, chiming in, mentioned that her main concern was the relationship between the men’s and women’s teams, which she described as “authentic.” Bird expressed her confusion over how they could laugh at Trump’s crude jokes when it belittled the women’s team. “How could I laugh if my friend was dismissed like this?” she pondered.

U.S. women’s hockey star Hilary Knight addressed the situation on ESPN, calling Trump’s joke “disgusting” but defended the men’s team. “I think there’s a real level of support and respect there. It’s unfortunate that this incident overshadowed their genuine interest in one another,” she noted.

While the women’s hockey team declined an invitation to the State of the Union, USA Hockey stated that the team plans to visit the White House “soon” to celebrate their gold medal victory, aligned with their postseason schedule.