Team USA’s Olympic win has now led to a conversation away from the ice after the final. The focus is less on the gold medal win and more on reactions around the White House invite from Donald Trump, which involved Quinn Hughes and his teammates.
The conversation is focused on Trump’s one message about the women’s team during the locker room celebrations in the aftermath of the men’s hockey team’s gold medal win.
Jack Hughes Responds to Backlash Over Donald Trump’s Remarks
Team USA forward Hughes spoke about the criticism that followed the team’s interaction with Trump after their Olympic win. The discussion started when the men’s team received a call from Trump after their overtime victory.
During the conversation, Trump joked that he would be “impeached” if he did not invite the women’s team, which led to backlash.
Hughes said the criticism did not match what the team experienced during the Olympics. “Everyone is giving us backlash for all the social media stuff today. People are so negative out there, and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing.”
He made it clear that both the men’s and women’s teams share a strong connection despite the outside noise.
Hughes also addressed the upcoming White House visit and said the players are focused on representing their country. “We’re excited. Everything is so political. We’re athletes. We’re so proud to represent the US, 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. No matter what your views are, we’re super excited to go to the White House tomorrow and be a part of that.” He said the visit is about the team and the opportunity, not outside opinions.
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The comments came after a close gold medal game between the United States and Canada. The United States took the lead early, while Canada responded late in the second period, tying 1-1. Canada created several chances in the final two periods but could not finish, which kept the game tied and sent it to overtime.
In overtime, the United States created a quick chance that led to the winning goal. Hughes found space and scored to secure the gold medal for his team. The goal ended a hard-fought game and ended Team USA’s 46-year-long gold drought.
