Press targets Olympic hockey teams over Trump White House celebration

One of the feel-good moments in this week’s State of the Union address was for the president Donald Trump In honor of the gold medal-winning USA Hockey Team. This should have been a great moment of unity and patriotism, but our elite media never wants any moments of unity in the Trump era. They had to talk about how the hockey team became its mascot.

One disturbing trend at the Olympics has been seeing sports reporters – whether American or European – asking Olympic athletes questions about how they can represent America with this terrible president and his immigration enforcement actions. Does anyone remember those reporters pestering athletes about how and when to represent America? Barack Obama Or was Joe Biden president? Of course not.

On the “CBS Evening News” on Wednesday, February 25, reporter Jonah Kaplan pushed USA hockey goaltender Jeremy Swayman. Trump’s locker room call To the victorious men. “I gotta tell you, we’re going to have to bring in the women’s team, you know that,” the president joked. The men laughed at the joke, and the left treated it as a human rights violation.

“Yes, we are,” Kaplan urged Swayman to confess the sin in laughter Your reaction should have been different. We know that. “We are very excited for the women’s team, we have a lot of respect for the women’s team.” Then women’s hockey player Kelly Panek agreed that the teams have a mutual admiration. But the media wanted to separate them and insult the men. And again, CBS does not appear to have become “MAGA-coded” under editor-in-chief Barry Weiss, as the press claims.

Jack Hughes of Team USA celebrates after winning the gold medal during the men’s gold medal game between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Elsa/Getty Images)

On ABC’s “Good Morning America” ​​on Thursday, co-host Michael Strahan asked women’s Olympic hockey team captain Hilary Knight during the interview: “But Hillary, there’s been a lot of talk about that call the president made to the men’s hockey team. Will the women’s team accept his offer to come to the White House?”

Knight made it sound like it wouldn’t happen: “I’m not sure. I’m not really sure where that stands. There was an announcement the other day. As far as I know, I didn’t see anything.”

She then directed her criticism at Trump: “I thought The call itself was distasteful “And a great teaching moment to refocus the narrative and understand the importance of our words and how we talk about the importance of women.”

Olympic legend Kylie Humphries reveals her support for Trump, ice and saving women’s sports and the men’s hockey team

Co-host Robin Roberts reacted as if Knight and the team had been subjected to some massive misogyny: “Well, I hope you’re — and you’ve handled everyone — with that grace and strength.”

It was the same on “CBS Mornings” on Thursday, where co-host Vladimir Duterz asserted that “the guys are a little embarrassed that they laughed with the president at that joke.” [at] Account of the women’s hockey team.

CBS aired a clip of ESPN’s Knight: “There’s a real level of support and respect. I think that was overshadowed by a quick fluff. I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it’s a shame that this story and narrative kind of blew up and overshadowed that connection and genuine care for each other and encouraging each other.”

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On “World News Tonight” Thursday night, ABC correspondent Will Reeve posted Swayman’s confession alongside fellow Olympian Charlie McAvoy taking his place in the line of remorse: “I’m definitely sorry for the way we responded. And if you know the men’s team and if you know the relationships that we have, the amount of time we spent, you know, with the women’s team and how we supported them, that’s certainly not reflective of how we feel.” Reeve also echoed Knight’s scolding response about Trump’s “obnoxious” phone call with the men’s team.

President Donald Trump speaks to members of the USA Men’s Hockey Team at the White House in Washington, D.C., on February 24, 2026. (Dan Scavino via X)

The three major broadcast networks have also sparked controversy over the FBI director Cash Battle Coming to celebrate the men’s hockey victory in the locker room and drink beer with them. From February 23 through the evening of February 27, there were five mentions of Battle spending time with Team USA for a total of 215 seconds broadcast on ABC (129 seconds), CBS (52 seconds), and NBC (34 seconds) or more than three and a half minutes.

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Women’s hockey team He declined an invitation to the White House Citing “pre-arranged academic and professional commitments.” But the networks wanted a “derogatory” narrative. NPR published this online headline about the 1990s rapper from the group Public Enemy: “Flavor Flav Among Women’s Hockey Team Fans Outraged by Presidential Snub.” Cultural correspondent Nidaa Al-Alabi quoted the rapper as offering an alternative celebration on his Instagram channel: “If the American women’s hockey team wants a real celebration and I invite them… I will host them in Las Vegas.” Olabi included a left-wing pundit attacking “anti-trans” conservatives who claim to support women’s sports.

Other left-wing media commentators insulted the men’s hockey team after the State of the Union address, calling them “spit lickers” and “self-absorbed misogynists.” Nothing could be more an occasion for unity than Trump bringing heroes to the White House or the State of the Union address. This was never an occasion to defame or slander a broadcast network when Obama or Biden did so. The media is a world-class competitor in partisanship.

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