Former ESPN personality Keith Olbermann has blasted the USA men’s hockey team for accepting Donald Trump‘s invitation to attend the State of the Union and White House this week.
Trump made the proposal during a celebratory phone call with the team after their stunning 2-1 overtime win over rivals Canada in the gold medal game at the Winter Olympics on Sunday.
But the women’s hockey team, who also won gold in Milan, turned down Trump’s offer. It came after the president joked with the men’s team he’d be impeached if he didn’t include the women’s team too.
In a furious tirade on social media Monday, Olbermann wrote: ‘Anybody smart (or respectful of women athletes) on the U.S. Men’s Olympic hockey team or connected to it, will refuse Trump’s invitation to The State of the Union.
‘Any who show up are declaring their indelible stupidity and misogyny. The End.’
He later added: ‘It’s official: US Gold Winning Olympic Hockey team declined invitation to be political props for Trump at the SOTU tomorrow. The women, that is. The men are still too stupid, self-absorbed and misogynistic to realize that going, will stick to them permanently.’
The USA men’s hockey team has been blasted for accepting Donald Trump’s invitation
Olbermann called them ‘self-absorbed and misogynistic’ for heading to the State of the Union
Megan Keller and her Winter Olympics teammates decided not to accept Trump’s invitation
The women’s team announced they had turned down Trump’s offer to join their male counterparts on Monday.
‘We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,’ a USA hockey spokesperson was quoted as saying by NBC.
‘They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.’
They will not be attending, however, ‘due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments’.
On a call to the men’s team in their locker room in Milan, Trump said: ‘I can send a military plane or something. If you would like to, it’s the coolest night.
‘We will do the White House the next day, we will just have some fun, we have medals for you guys.’
He added: ‘We have, I must tell you, we are going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that. I do believe I would probably be impeached (if he didn’t invite them).’
The men’s team immediately accepted Trump’s offer to join, with some laughing at his joke about impeachment.
Trump joked to the men’s team he’d be ‘impeached’ if he didn’t also invite the women’s team
Kash Patel was in Milan for Sunday’s final and he headed into the locker room to join in the celebrations, with a video appearing to show the FBI director chugging a beer and partying with the players.
Jack Hughes scored the winning goal in overtime to beat Canada and gave an emotional and patriotic interview moments after clinching gold.
‘This is all about our country right now,’ he said. ‘This is all about our country. I love the USA. I love my teammates… I’m so proud to be an American today.
‘That’s a great Canadian team, but we’re USA, we’re so proud to be Americans, tonight was all for the country.
‘It’s everything, the USA hockey brotherhood means so much, we’re such a team, we’ve been together for two weeks, but we’re such a team.
‘The USA hockey brotherhood is so strong, and we’re so proud to win for our country.’
The footage caught the attention of vice president JD Vance, who praised Hughes for his message and for also talking despite losing teeth on the ice during the game.
Vance wrote on X: ‘Heart full of pride for his country and a few front teeth gone missing.
‘That’s American hockey right there. Congratulations to Jack and everyone on Team USA for bringing home the gold.’