Team USA’s gold medal-winning women’s hockey team was represented at the White House after President Trump made controversial comments about them earlier this year.
Abbey Murphy and Joy Dunne attended a celebration held in honor of Team USA Olympians and Paralympians in D.C. on Thursday, August 6.
Trump, 80, infamously shaded the women’s hockey team on a phone call with the Team USA men’s hockey team after they also won gold in Italy in February.
“We have medals for you guys. I must tell you, we‘re going to have to bring the women’s team,” Trump said, which drew hearty laughter from many of the players.
Trump said that if he didn’t invite the women’s team to the White House, he would “probably would be impeached.”
The president took a decidedly more complimentary tone during the ceremony on Thursday.
“We can’t forget and never would – and nobody would have the courage to forget, either, because they are amazing – the history-making women’s hockey team,” Trump said. “This team left everything right on the ice. They beat Canada and clinched the Olympic gold.”
Trump singled out Murphy, 24, and Dunne, 21, thanking them for “a memorable period of time.”
After an awkward moment attempting to find the hockey players in the large group assembled behind him, the president invited Murphy and Dunne down to shake his hand.
Members of the men’s hockey team visited the White House in February, just days after they won gold. They also received a lengthy standing ovation at Trump’s State of the Union address.
At the time, the women’s team turned down the president’s invitation to attend his speech.
“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” USA Hockey said in a statement to NBC News. “They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”
USA Hockey said players would not be able to attend “due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments.”
Men’s hockey hero Jack Hughes – who scored the game-winning goal against Canada in the gold medal game – said he understood the decision of the women’s team to decline the invite.
“They’ve got busy schedules too,” Hughes, 24, told the Daily Mail in February. “Everyone is giving us backlash for all the social media stuff today.”
The men’s team was also widely criticized on social media for partying with FBI Director Kash Patel in the locker room after winning gold.
Hughes added, “People are so negative out there and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing.”
