U.S. Men’s Hockey Team Win Highlights Internal Divisions

US Men’s Hockey Team attends President Trump’s State of the Union address after winning gold at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics (Photo: Alex Brandon/AP)

Last month, both the US Men’s and Women’s Hockey Teams won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics. While the men’s victory—the first since 1980—was a moment to celebrate, leaked videos of their locker room celebration have underscored the political divide in the United States on the international stage.

On a phone call with President Donald Trump, the men’s team can be heard laughing as Trump joked that he would have to invite the women’s team to the White House alongside the men’s team. In the weeks since, this moment has sparked significant controversy, with many online commentators claiming that the men were undermining the women’s team’s historic win.

Notably, while the men’s team met with the president and attended his State of the Union address upon returning from Milan, the women’s team declined to attend. When asked about the president’s comments and the men’s response, Hillary Knight, captain of the women’s team, replied, “I think this is just a really good learning point to really focus on, you know, how we talk about women. Women aren’t less than, and our achievements shouldn’t be overshadowed by anything else other than how great they are.”

US Women’s Hockey Team wins gold in overtime at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics (Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Amid the discourse, some members of the men’s team expressed support for the women’s team. “We know that we are so excited for the women’s team. We have so much respect for the women’s team. To share that gold medal with them is something we’re forever grateful for," said Jeremy Swayman, backup goalie for the US Men’s Hockey team. 

Others doubled down on their actions. Jack Hughes said, “We’re so proud to represent the U.S. and when you get the chance to go to White House and meet the president, we’re proud to be Americans and that’s so patriotic.”

The discourse essentially centers on whether the men’s team’s actions were patriotic or sexist. Those who claim the former argue that the team took home gold for their country and should travel to Washington to meet with the president. Those who claim the latter believe that the men’s team had an obligation to support the women’s team in their win, and by laughing at the president’s jokes, they undermine the success of women in sports. 

Adding another level of political controversy to the team’s win was the presence of  FBI Director Kash Patel in the locker room celebrating with the men’s team. The videos of Patel come at a time when several articles have come out exposing his private jet usage as a primary cause of FBI inefficiency in responding to major events in the United States. When the FBI director uses agency resources to make a public appearance at an event where the FBI is not needed, it brings the frustrations of many people with the administration and its actions to international headlines as well. In response, Patel’s spokesperson took to X to state, “No, it’s not a personal trip. Director Patel is on a trip that was planned months ago.” 

As President Trump’s second year back in office continues, so do his constant controversies. The politicization of the US Men’s Hockey team at this year’s Winter Olympics is just another example of how these domestic conversations have international contexts.