President Donald Trump praised the U.S. women’s hockey team for their Olympic gold, said they had made the country proud, and remarked that they would be visiting the White House “soon,” joking that he’d “probably be impeached” if he didn’t invite them.

what did the president say about the women's hockey team?

Quick Scoop

In late February 2026, the women’s Olympic hockey team became a surprise political and sports headline after winning gold in Milan and then becoming the subject of Donald Trump’s remarks in several different settings.

1. The congratulatory comments

Trump publicly linked the women’s and men’s gold‑medal wins and framed them as proof of American excellence.

  • He congratulated both the men’s and women’s Olympic hockey teams for their gold‑medal victories.
  • He said the women’s team had made the country proud with their thrilling overtime win over Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
  • He repeatedly suggested that the women’s team would “soon” come to the White House to be honored.

In a phone call with the men’s team, Trump tried to sound joking and self‑deprecating while still centering the women’s team.

He told the men’s team that they “do know” he’d also have to bring the women’s team, adding that he’d “probably be impeached” if he didn’t invite them.

2. State of the Union shout‑out

The women’s team became part of Trump’s 2026 State of the Union narrative.

  • During the address on February 24, 2026, Trump highlighted Team USA’s hockey success, praising the men present in the chamber and noting that the women had also won gold in similarly dramatic fashion.
  • He acknowledged that the women’s team was not in attendance and said they would come to the White House at a later date.
  • The moment came amid chants of “USA!” as he highlighted their overtime victory over Canada.

3. The team’s response and context

While Trump’s public lines sounded complimentary on the surface, the situation quickly turned into a mini‑controversy and a trending topic.

  • The U.S. women’s team declined his invitation to attend the State of the Union, citing prior academic and professional commitments and the very short notice on travel after the Olympics.
  • Their statement emphasized gratitude for the recognition while firmly explaining that logistics and previous obligations made attendance unrealistic.
  • Online, critics argued that his joking impeachment remark and the way he referenced the women’s team made them feel like an afterthought compared with the men, while supporters framed it as light‑hearted banter and routine presidential sports hype.

4. Why it’s a trending topic now

This has become a classic 2026 “sports meets politics” flashpoint.

  • Clips of Trump’s call with the men’s team and his “I’d probably be impeached” joke about inviting the women went viral, with many arguing he was minimizing or back‑handedly shading the women’s gold‑medal achievement.
  • Commentators and columnists have used the moment to talk about how women’s sports are still treated as secondary, even when they match or outperform men on the biggest stages.
  • Political forums are debating whether the women’s decision to skip the State of the Union is mostly about logistics, quiet protest, or both, since their public statement stays polite while the timing and context suggest deeper frustrations.

TL;DR

Trump praised the U.S. women’s hockey team for their gold medal, said they made America proud, and joked that he’d be “impeached” if he didn’t invite them to the White House—then they declined his State of the Union invitation, turning a routine sports shout‑out into a broader debate about respect for women’s sports and political signaling.