It was supposed to be a moment of national celebration. Team USA had just pulled off a historic Olympic double—both the men's and women's ice hockey sides defeating Canada 2-1 in their respective finals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. But a leaked FaceTime call between President Donald Trump and the men's squad quickly overshadowed the victory lap, after Trump's offhand remark about the women's team was widely condemned as sexist.
In the footage, Trump told the men's players: 'We're going to have to bring the women's team, you do know... I do believe I probably would be impeached [if I didn't].' The line drew laughter from some players visible in the video—a reaction that many viewers found just as troubling as the remark itself. Rather than acknowledging the women's achievement on its own terms, the president framed their inclusion as political self-preservation. That distinction was not lost on those watching.
