Following their controversial invite, the US men’s hockey team visited the White House on Tuesday (24 February) – but not everyone was in attendance.
For those who need a reminder, US President Donald Trump invited the Winter Olympic gold medal-winning team to his State of the Union address after their 2-1 win against Canada over the weekend.
After their victory on Sunday (22 February), footage emerged of a post-match locker room call with the Republican leader, 79, who invited them as guests of honour to his White House event to celebrate.
The eyebrow-raising video, which has since racked up millions of views on social media, sees Trump tell the winning team: “We’re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. I could send a military plane or something, if you would like to. It’s the coolest night. It’s the biggest speech.”
However, things took a turn when he added: “And we have to – I must tell you – we’re going to have to bring the women’s team. [If I don’t] do that, I do believe I probably would be impeached, OK?” which prompted laughter from the group.
Five members of the men’s US Olympic hockey team declined Donald Trump’s White House invite (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
The shocking comments have sparked widespread backlash, with people dubbing them as ‘misogynistic’ and ‘sexist’.
Meanwhile, the team members themselves have also come under fire for not defending the women and laughing at the remarks, although team member Jack Hughes has since come forward to defend the reaction.
Shortly after the video surfaced, a spokesperson for the women’s team, who also took home Olympic gold this year, and has won a medal every year since the sport was introduced, publicly responded to Trump’s offer.
They told NBC that, due to ‘timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments,’ they would be declining the President’s offer – they have, though, reportedly accepted an invitation to party with rap legend Flavor Flav.
So, understandably, all eyes were on the men’s team when they went ahead with the White House visit yesterday, including who was noticeably missing.
According to The Guardian, Trump told the players: “I recognize every one of you. I know every one of you. Big guys.”
And while most of the team were in attendance, five of the 25 members were absent: Brock Nelson, Jackson LaCombe, Jake Guentzel, Jake Oettinger, and Kyle Connor.
The group travelled to Washington DC for Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday evening (RvS.Media/Monika Majer/Getty Images)
The publication reports that four of the players, Nelson, Lacombe, Guentzel, and Oettinger, were born or brought up in Minnesota, a state that’s been affected by a severe immigration crackdown by Trump’s administration.
In recent months, there has been a surge in ICE agents on the streets, as well as protests against the federal presence, following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
It’s important to note, though, that it hasn’t been said that this is the reason why the players were absent – it’s just a connection some people have made.
Meanwhile, Connor, who plays for the Winnipeg Jets in Canada, explained his reasoning for skipping the White House meeting was so he could concentrate on the rest of the NHL season.
He told The Athletic: “I’m just getting ready. We play on Wednesday. It’s a big second half, so I just wanted to make sure I was ready.”
Like Connor, the other players who were absent are also members of teams set to play on Wednesday.
Featured Image Credit: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
