Hughes Family Responds to Trump Hockey Call Backlash

When President Trump got on the phone with the U.S. men's hockey team after their gold medal win over Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics, it was supposed to be a feel-good moment. And for the most part, it was — until one joke turned a celebration into a controversy.

On the call, Trump invited the men's team to attend Tuesday night's State of the Union address before adding: "I must tell you, we're going to have to bring the women's team, you do know that. I do believe I probably would be impeached." The locker room erupted with laughter — including from brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes — and the backlash wasn't far behind.

But few people in this story occupy a more complicated position than Ellen Hughes. She's Jack and Quinn's mom. She's also a player development consultant for the very team Trump was joking about.

What Did Ellen Hughes Have to Say About the Call?

Rather than wade into the political fray, Ellen kept her focus on what she'd actually witnessed in Milan. "If you could see what we see from the inside — the men and women sharing dorm rooms and halls and flex floors — and the camaraderie and the synergy and the way the women cheered on the men and the way the men cheered on the women," she told TODAY on Tuesday. "That's what it's all about."

"At the end of the day, it's just about the country and the moment that these players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country," she said. "People that cheered on that don't watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side — and that's all both the men's team and the women's team care about."

@gma

Jack and Quinn Hughes say they will be attending tonight's State of the Union and address the US women's hockey team: "We're extremely happy for them."

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How Did the Hughes Brothers React?

Jack and Quinn Hughes echoed their mother's sentiment when they sat down with Good Morning America Tuesday morning. Jack was direct about the reality on the ground in Milan. "I know that there's been so much headlines about us and the women's hockey team," he said, "but we hung out like we're in the cafeteria with them at 3:30 in the morning." Quinn steered the conversation back to the women entirely: "I'm glad you brought up the women because it was amazing to spend some time with them, too. Me and Jack were there — we watched them win the gold medal. They came to our game and were able to watch us. Just the support back and forth, just to get to know them a little better — that was special."

As for the women's team, USA Hockey confirmed they declined the White House's invitation to the State of the Union, citing scheduling conflicts. Into that void stepped an unlikely figure: Flavor Flav, who invited the women to a celebration in Las Vegas instead.