Trump treating U.S. women's hockey team as afterthought is no laughing matter

Within hours of defeating Canada, the U.S. men’s hockey team received a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump and an invitation to the White House. What should have been a routine celebration of athletic excellence instead became a revealing cultural moment.

After extending the invitation, the president joked, “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team,” adding that he would “probably be impeached” if they were not invited. Laughter followed.

Both the U.S. men’s and women’s teams had delivered extraordinary victories against a fierce rival. Both performances electrified fans and showcased the highest level of international competition. Yet the reactions surrounding those wins exposed something familiar: Women’s achievements are still too often treated as secondary, inconvenient or worthy of acknowledgment only as an obligation.

Of course, there are those defending the remark as harmless: just a joke, just locker room talk, boys will be boys. Throughout my career, I have heard similar dismissals: It’s just a toy, just a book, just a show. But words matter. And over time, they accumulate, shaping expectations about who belongs and whose accomplishments are taken seriously.

When authority figures frame inclusion as optional or burdensome, the message travels quickly. Laughter signals what feels acceptable. Silence signals what feels risky to question.

Team environments depend on unity and belonging. Speaking up can feel like breaking ranks, while remaining quiet feels safer. Yet silence, even when unintended, communicates acceptance. Over time, these moments reinforce who is perceived as central and who remains an addition.

The contrast is especially striking given the broader reality of these Olympics. Of the United States’ 12 gold medals, eight were won by women. Of the 33 total U.S. medals, women earned 21. Their performances are not supplementary to American achievement; they are foundational to it.

Disparities in recognition do more than diminish women’s accomplishments. They alter the meaning of celebration itself. The men earned their victory unequivocally, yet the surrounding controversy risks attaching an unnecessary shadow to what should have been uncomplicated national pride.

The U.S. women’s hockey team ultimately declined the White House invitation, a decision reflecting principle as much as disappointment. Recognition offered alongside dismissal rarely feels like recognition at all.

Will men’s team stand up for women?

What happens next matters.

The most meaningful response from the men’s team would require solidarity: a public acknowledgment that women athletes deserve equal respect, that jokes minimizing their inclusion are harmful and that teammates across gender lines stand together. Such a response would not diminish their victory; it would elevate it.

Such actions do not come without risk. Speaking publicly in opposition, especially to a sitting president, invites swift backlash. Athletes who step into controversy often face immediate and personal criticism. The pressure to remain silent is real.

Yet moments like this offer athletes a rare opportunity to shape something larger than a championship legacy.

If members of the men’s team were to address what happened, offering clarification and support for the women’s team, it would mark a defining act of leadership. Greatness in sports is not measured only by performance under pressure, but by courage when silence feels easier.

And people are watching.

Not only young girls, but young boys and children everywhere are learning what respect looks like in real time. They are learning whether success excuses dismissal or whether excellence includes standing up for others. They are learning how men treat women when recognition and power are on the line.

Years from now, few will remember the precise wording of a joke. But they will remember athletes choosing respect over comfort and unity over silence. They will remember players who understood that how victories are carried matters as much as how they are won.

Sports has never existed apart from culture. From Title IX to ongoing fights for equal pay and investment, athletics has long helped shape national conversations about fairness and belonging. Moments like this become lessons far beyond the rink.

When women win and are treated as an afterthought, the message reaches classrooms, workplaces and communities alike: You may help carry the nation, but you will not be centered in its story.

Inclusion without respect is not equality.

The victories over Canada should have been remembered solely for athletic brilliance: four teams competing, two American triumphs, one shared sense of pride. Instead, they revealed how persistent the work of equality remains.

The men’s team now faces an opportunity few champions receive: to ensure their victory stands not only for competitive excellence, but for integrity. A moment of solidarity could transform controversy into progress and ensure this championship is remembered not only for winning, but for leadership.

The question raised here extends beyond hockey. When women win for America, will America stand fully with them, or will equality remain an invitation extended only as an afterthought?

The answer, this time, may belong to the champions themselves.

Jodi Bondi Norgaard is an entrepreneur, author and gender-equity advocate. She is the creator of the award-winning Go! Go! Sports Girls brand and the author of "More Than a Doll: How Creating a Sports Doll Turned into a Fight to End Gender Stereotypes."