Hilary Knight responds to Trump, saying his remarks were a 'distasteful joke'

Former University of Wisconsin hockey star Hilary Knight said the U.S. women's hockey team is trying to move past President Donald Trump's comments about the squad.

"I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke, 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," Knight said on ESPN's "SportsCenter" on Feb. 25.

"We're just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history as well as the double gold for both men's and women's at the same time. And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke."

Both the men and women hockey teams won gold over Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, which concluded earlier this week. But when Trump called the men's hockey team to invite them to the State of the Union address, he begrudgingly said he'd need to invite the women as well.

"I must tell you, we're going to have to bring the women's team, you do know that," Trump told the men. He added with a laugh that if he didn't invite the women, "I do believe I probably would be impeached."

The women's team were indeed asked to attend the address but declined the invitation "due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments."

The men met with Trump at the White House before being ceremoniously presented by the president at the joint session of Congress on Feb. 24. Trump said during his speech that the women plan to visit the White House at a later date.

Jack Hughes, who scored the men's gold medal game winner, and his brother Quinn were asked on Feb. 24 on "Good Morning America" about the phone call with Trump and his remarks about the women's team.

"Our relationship with them, over the course of being in the Olympic Village, I think we are so tight with their group," Jack Hughes said of the women's team. "After we won the gold medal, we were in the cafeteria at 3:30 a.m. in the morning with them. We go from there, pack our bags and we're on the bus.

"People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them. The same way we feel about them, they feel about us."

Knight shared the same sentiment.

"I think there's a genuine level of support there and respect," she said. "I think that's being overshadowed by a quick lapse. I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it's a shame this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on."

This was the final Olympic Games for the UW grad, who was the flag bearer for the U.S. during the closing ceremony. The 36-year-old just completed her fifth Games. With her second gold medal, she became the most decorated player in U.S. women's hockey history.

Knight finished first among American skaters, both men and women, in Olympic goals (15) and points (33) in a career.

She told ESPN that the whole debacle with the president is a "really good learning point, to really focus on how we talk about women, not only in sport but in industry. Women aren't less than, and their achievements shouldn't be overshadowed by anything else other than how great they are."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hilary Knight responds to Trump, saying his remarks were distasteful