U.S. women's hockey team captain Hilary Knight responds to President Trump's 'distasteful' joke
CBS Sports
by
Austin Nivison
February 25, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
U.S. women's hockey team captain Hilary Knight has criticized President Donald Trump's recent joke about inviting the women's national team to the State of the Union, calling it "distasteful" and highlighting how it overshadowed their Olympic achievements. In a post-Olympics interview with ESPN, Knight emphasized that while the men's team celebrated their first gold medal in 46 years, the women's team chose not to attend the event after Trump's comments. She expressed frustration over how the narrative surrounding Trump's joke detracted from the incredible feats of female athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The close relationship between the U.S. men's and women's hockey teams has been a key point of discussion. Knight acknowledged that the teams have always supported each other on and off the ice, forming strong
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Originally published on CBS Sports on 2/25/2026