Trump Faces Rebuff: U.S. Women’s Hockey Team Declines State of the Union Invitation

The U.S. women’s ice hockey team, who clinched gold by defeating Canada in overtime at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, formally declined President Trump’s invitation on February 23 to attend the State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 24.

A team spokesperson stated: “Due to post-Olympic academic and professional commitments, the players are unable to attend.” The decision has been described as a polite refusal, not a political statement.

Previously, Trump joked during a call with the gold-winning U.S. men’s hockey team, saying, “If I don’t invite the women’s team, I might get impeached,” and invited both teams to Washington. The men’s team accepted; the women’s team declined.

The decision sparked discussion on social media, with some Trump supporters accusing the team of “politicizing sports,” while others view it as a normal scheduling issue. The White House responded: “We respect the athletes’ decision and congratulate them on their Olympic achievement.”

This marks another instance in recent years of U.S. Olympic champions declining White House or Congressional invitations, similar to past refusals due to political differences.