Donald Trump honors men’s hockey team, women’s absence raises questions

March 3, 2026 Oliver Obel

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump welcomed members of the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team to Washington this week following their gold medal victory over Canada, a win that marked the program’s first Olympic title since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”

Several players attended Tuesday night’s joint address to Congress after Trump congratulated the team during a phone call Sunday and extended an invitation to the White House.

During that call, the president said, “And I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team. You do know that.” After laughter from others in the room, he added, “I’d probably be impeached.”

The U.S. women’s hockey team which also won gold days earlier was not present at the address.

Criticism from Denver Post column

In a column published by The Denver Post, opinion editor Megan Schrader argued that the absence of a female gold medalist from the event reflected broader disparities in the treatment of men’s and women’s sports.

Schrader wrote that by the time invitations were extended, members of the women’s team had already dispersed across the country. She also reported that the men’s team traveled to Washington aboard Air Force One. The White House has not publicly released details about the timing of the invitations or travel arrangements for either team, and did not respond to a request for comment.

The column further noted that other recent American gold medalists including alpine skiers Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin, and figure skater Alysa Liu were not publicly recognized during the address.

Broader political context

The episode comes as Trump has emphasized his support for women’s athletics. The president recently signed an executive order directing federal agencies to review funding policies for schools that allow transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports.

“I am proud to be the President to SAVE Women’s Sports,” Trump wrote on X in promoting the measure.

Supporters of the order say it protects competitive fairness in girls’ athletics. Civil rights groups and LGBTQ advocates argue it targets transgender students and injects politics into youth sports.

Pay disparity and reaction

Schrader’s column also highlighted differences in compensation between men’s and women’s professional hockey. According to the piece, players in the Professional Women’s Hockey League earn salaries ranging roughly from $40,000 to $100,000 per year, while National Hockey League players often sign contracts worth millions annually.

After publication, Schrader said she received online responses dismissing the women’s team’s accomplishments. One X user wrote, “If women were as good as men, they’d be playing in the NHL (its open to all genders) … but I’m pretty sure the best 13yo in the world could beat the women’s team.”

The White House has not indicated whether the women’s team will be honored at a separate event. For now, what began as a celebration of Olympic success has evolved into a broader debate over visibility, equity and political symbolism in American sports.

Sources: The Denver Post, X