The gold medal-winning US Olympic women’s hockey team has declined an invite to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union deal with, citing scheduling points.
The invite got here after Trump regaled the US males’s team by cellphone Sunday as the gamers celebrated their historic Olympic victory, even providing to ship a navy airplane to carry them to Washington, DC.
“We’re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. I could send a military plane or something, if you would like to. It’s the coolest night. It’s the biggest speech,” the president — over a speakerphone held by FBI Director Kash Patel in the locker room — mentioned to raucous cheers and shouts of “we’re in.”
Trump added: “I must tell you, we’re gonna have to bring the women’s team — you do know that.” If they weren’t invited, the president mentioned, “I do believe I probably would be impeached, OK?”
Members of the team laughed. The second — and the gamers’ response —prompted important backlash on social media.
Both the males’s and women’s hockey groups have been formally invited to attend Trump’s deal with Tuesday, based on a spokesperson for the women’s team. It shouldn’t be clear whether or not the male athletes will comply with via on the plans, however the ladies have declined the invitation.
“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,” the team spokesperson mentioned in a press release.
“Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”
The males’s team, which was touring again to the US from Italy, didn’t instantly reply to NCS’s inquiry on whether or not they would attend the speech. The White House didn’t reply to NCS’s request for remark.
Both American groups secured Olympic gold in extraordinary video games towards Canada, the ladies 2-1 in time beyond regulation on Thursday and the males in their very own 2-1 time beyond regulation win Sunday.
Jack Hughes, who scored the males’s game-winning purpose, mentioned one of his first ideas was women’s team star Megan Keller.
“The first person I thought of was Megan Keller, who had the gold medal goal the other night,” the New Jersey Devils heart said in an interview moments after his win, recalling operating into Keller in the Olympic cafeteria after the women’s victory.
“I saw her in the (cafeteria), and I just said how happy and proud I am of their group and that was one of my first thoughts, was her.”
Neither Olympic team has a lot time to soak of their victories as they return to their skilled and college-level hockey groups. The Professional Women’s Hockey League resumes its season Thursday, and the National Hockey League resumes on Wednesday.
The women’s team most just lately gained gold in PyeongChang throughout Trump’s first time period. They have been among the athletes invited to the White House in April 2018 as half of a broader Olympic celebration. The males’s win was the first since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”