Team USA Star Hilary Knight Calls Trump’s Joke About Women’s Hockey Team ‘Distasteful’

Team USA women’s hockey player Hilary Knight responded to the joke made by President Donald Trump during a video call with the men’s team.

Knight was invited on ESPN’s SportsCenter show on Feb. 25. She was asked about several topics, from her play in the 2026 Winter Olympics to Trump’s joke about the team.

“I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke,” Knight said, “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.” 

After the men’s gold medal victory against Canada on Feb. 22, Trump called the team to congratulate them. He also invited them to his State of the Union address on Feb. 24. He joked that he has to invite the women’s team as well, or else he’d face impeachment. 

Critics like Knight saw the joke as distasteful and diminishing the accomplishments of the women’s team. Meanwhile, supporters argued the joke was more focused on Trump facing backlash from the media and constant impeachment calls rather than a shot at the women’s team.

Knight and the women’s team also won the gold medal. This was the first time that both the men’s and women’s teams won the gold medal in the same Winter Olympics. Knight was chosen to be the U.S. flag bearer for the closing ceremony.

Knight has been part of the PWHL since its first season in 2023-24. She is a part of the Seattle Torrent team. She played for the Boston Fleet in her first two seasons in the league. The PWHL currently has eight teams.

The PWHL season has resumed after a break for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The final game of the season will be on April 25. Each team plays 30 games per season.