Team USA's women's hockey captain is not happy with President Donald Trump or the men's hockey team.
Hilary Knight, who in 2026 became Team USA's all-time leading scorer in women's Olympic hockey, took multiple shots at the president this week after he joked with the men's team that he would have to invite the women alongside the men to the State of the Union address.
'I think that's being overshadowed by sort of a quick lapse.'
"We're going to have to bring the women's team," the president said jokingly on Sunday, adding he "probably would be impeached" if he didn't.
Although the women declined the invitation, citing "academic and professional commitments," Knight seemingly took offense to the remarks, revealing in subsequent interviews that she was sour over the president's joke.
"I thought the joke was distasteful and unfortunate," she told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday. "The way women are represented, it's a great teaching point to really shine light on how women should be championed for their amazing feats."
"It's not my responsibility" to explain "someone else's behavior" she added.
Also on Wednesday, Knight again described the president's remarks as "a distasteful joke" during an interview on "SportsCenter."
"I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke, and unfortunately that is overshadowing a lot of the success and the success of just women at the Olympics, caring for Team USA, and having amazing gold-medal feats," the women's captain told host Jay Harris.
Knight said the team was just trying to focus on celebrating the incredible efforts made by the men and women at the Olympics and "not detract from that with a distasteful joke."
"It was unfortunate," Knight added. She then claimed her male counterparts had a "lapse" in judgment by laughing at Trump's remarks.
"There's a genuine level of support there and respect [from the men], and I think that's being overshadowed by sort of a quick lapse, and, you know, I think the guys were in a tough spot."
While the American women were not at the State of the Union on Tuesday, Trump announced during his speech that the team would in fact be visiting the White House "soon."
At the same time, the women have accepted an offer to celebrate with rapper Flavor Flav this summer, with forward Alex Carpenter saying she planned on finishing her professional season before heading to Las Vegas to "take advantage of that."
"Go have some fun and celebrate like we deserve to," she said, per the New York Post.
Flavor Flav was designated the official hype man for both the U.S. bobsled and skeleton teams at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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Last Sunday at the Milano Cortina Winter Games, the United States men's hockey team won Olympic gold for the first time in 46 years, defeating rival Canada 2-1 in overtime, with Jack Hughes scoring the golden goal.
This victory, Glenn Beck says, felt profoundly different from other American athletic triumphs in recent years.
“[The team was] proud to be there representing us. That is what felt so good. We don’t feel that very often anymore,” he declares, displaying the iconic picture of Hughes — bloodied mouth, chipped teeth exposed in a triumphant grin, fist raised, the American flag draped proudly over his shoulders.
But the team’s pride is just part of the story.
On this episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn breaks down the five powerful reasons this U.S. hockey gold-medal triumph wasn’t just a win but a defining, soul-stirring moment that reignited the American spirit.
“This is a new generation of American hockey,” Glenn says.
“When I was growing up, we lived in the shadow of Canada and the old Soviet Union, and that was a machine. And the miracle of 1980? That was just blue-collar grit,” he reflects.
But hockey in America today is defined by athletic excellence.
“Hughes is different. He is speed. He’s skill. He’s flash. He’s confidence,” Glenn says.
“He is the guy who represents the American hockey player development,” where American competitors “don’t just compete internationally” but are actually “dominating” the hockey world, he explains.
Why does this matter?
“Because we’ve always kind of been this borrowed excellence. ... We didn’t dominate. We borrowed,” Glenn says. “Now it’s all homegrown.”
“[Hughes] has a style that I think Americans recognize,” Glenn says. “He plays like a modern American athlete. He is creative; he is fast; he is fearless; he walks off with no teeth in the front. I mean, he’s willing to take over.”
“Gold medals mean more to us ... when they’re won by players who feel distinctly American in their temperament.”
Assertiveness, confidence, and even a little defiance are in America’s DNA, Glenn says. When Hughes doesn’t “just compete” but “[imposes] himself” on the other teams, it reminds us of who we are as a country: “We’re the people who cross the Rocky Mountains.”
Unlike basketball, football, and baseball, hockey is a sport in which America rarely dominates.
“Hockey still carries an old weight to it. It feels like you’re taking something back from the old powers of Canada and Sweden and Russia,” Glenn says.
“When the U.S. wins gold in hockey, it’s earned the hard way. And when a young American star is at the center of that — I don’t know, it just kind of feels like momentum.”
“Timing” is another reason this victory “feels different,” Glenn says.
“We are in the weirdest place of my lifetime. We are culturally divided; we are cynical; we’re exhausted by politics. And sports, at least this sports moment — it was clean. It was earned. It was unified,” he praises.
In such a bleak time as this, a gold medal “hits harder,” Glenn says.
“There was a time when America felt like a team, and I don’t know about you, but I’m longing to feel like a team again.”
The story of Jack Hughes is Glenn’s final reason for celebrating this victory as a standout among others.
Jack hails from one of America’s most storied hockey dynasties: His brothers Quinn and Luke are both high first-round NHL draft picks and current pros; his father, Jim, is a former college standout turned longtime coach and player development guru; and his mother, Ellen, is a former U.S. national team star who earned silver at the 1992 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
“That speaks to us about our family in a deeper way — discipline, structure, parental investment, people who work hard. This family obviously works hard, trains hard, and is a unit. That’s the American ideal: Build it at home, take it to the world stage,” Glenn says.
To hear more of his commentary, watch the video above.
To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Shortly after Team USA's historic Olympic gold-medal victory in men's hockey on Sunday, the team had a special guest join them in the locker room — and an even more special guest phone in his congratulations.
Following USA's first gold-medal victory since 1980, the hockey team was joined by noted hockey fan FBI Director Kash Patel, who enthusiastically joined in the celebration.
'We're giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. I can send a military plane.'
After pounding a beer and banging his fist on a table in the locker room, Patel called President Donald Trump, who spoke with the team for a few minutes and offered them the opportunity of a lifetime.
On the call, President Trump joked that the goalie "played not bad."
"How you doing, Don?" said goalie Connor Hellebuyck in reply.
RELATED: 'LOTS OF WINNING!!!' Trump praises America's historic hockey victory at Winter Olympics
Then came Trump's offer: "We're giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. I can send a military plane. ... If you would like to, it's the coolest night."
The whole hockey team said they were in to attend.
Trump continued: "The nice thing about being president is, I can tell you, you don't have to worry about the weather or landing. We don't care if it's snowing or if it's the worst blizzard."
Trump then joked, "I must tell you, we're going to have to bring the women's team, you do know that," adding that he "probably would be impeached" if he neglected to invite the U.S. women's team since they also won the gold medal.
The president then offered the men's team his congratulations once more, saying: "You're going to be proud of that game for 50 years. ... I'm going to shake hands with everybody, but I got to shake hands with that goalie."
Patel received some criticism for joining the team in the locker room, but he defended his actions in a response on social media that has since gone viral: "For the very concerned media — yes, I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys — Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth."
President Trump also took to Truth Social to congratulate the team: "Congratulations to our great U.S.A. Ice Hockey team. THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW!"
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Before a call from President Donald Trump and a few drinks with FBI Director Kash Patel, Team USA men's hockey made a heartfelt tribute to one of their compatriots.
After the players received their gold medals for a stunning 2-1 win over Team Canada on Sunday, viewers may have noticed a couple of youngsters on the ice posing for the team picture, along with a loose hockey jersey.
'When we got the call to come out, it felt like maybe he did make the team.'
No, those were not captain Auston Matthews' children. Nor were they superstar goalie Connor Hellebuyck's children. They were Noa and Johnny Jr., children of the late Johnny Gaudreau.
In 2023, Gaudreau, 31, and his younger brother Matthew, 29, were tragically killed by a drunk driver while riding bicycles in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. Gaudreau was one of the star players for the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, while Matthew was a former professional hockey player who last played in the ECHL.
In yet another wonderful gesture, Team USA invited Johnny Gaudreau's widow, Meredith, to join the team in Italy on Saturday, along with the Gaudreau brothers' parents, Guy and Jane. The whole family was in the audience for the gold-medal game.
"To be able to get it done like that, to win, to have his jersey out there in the team photo, have his kids come out and be with us, we're obviously thinking of him," Auston Matthews said, per ESPN. "Just felt like the impact that he's had on so many guys in this room is special. He was with us in spirit the whole tournament," Matthews added.
RELATED: 'LOTS OF WINNING!!!' Trump praises America's historic hockey victory at Winter Olympics
"It's fun to be a part of this," Meredith said before the game.
"When we got the call to come out, it felt like maybe he did make the team. So it's fun. Here to represent him and support everyone that's honoring him, as well."
Meredith revealed to a reporter that she only had two days' notice before making the trip overseas to join the squad, but she said it was something she simply could not pass up.
"Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the kids. So that was the main reason that drove me out here," the mother continued, before delivering some truly heartbreaking remarks.
"I feel like I have two roles in life now: It's honor John, my husband, and make sure these kids know how special their dad is and give them some special opportunities."
USA forward Dylan Larkin firmly stated that "Johnny and Matty should be here."
"That is the biggest loss that all of us at USA Hockey, their family, our family, has gone through," Larkin continued. "And to have Johnny Jr. and Noa out there, it just felt right."
Larkin added that he thought the Gaudreau brothers may have had a hand in stopping some pucks from going into the USA net.
"And I think part of those, the puck not going in our net, was somehow him standing there doing something, laughing with Matty. Just somehow they put a spell around our net where that puck didn't go in."
Larkin then joked around, reportedly smiling while saying, "Ironic, on the defensive side; he would've never been back there," he said about Johnny.
These comments nearly mirrored what was said about the late brothers by their sister, Katie.
Katie jokingly told Fox News that while her brothers were "never quite defensive," she thought a couple of saves had some assistance from above.
"Up there, they were definitely helping out."
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President Donald Trump showered the United States men's hockey team with praise Sunday for its historic victory at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
The men's hockey team took home the gold for the first time in 46 years after Jack Hughes scored the winning goal over Canada in overtime. It was the first American gold-medal effort in men's Olympic hockey since the "Miracle on Ice" squad improbably won it all in 1980. Trump himself hosted that iconic team at the White House in December.
'I'm so proud to be American.'
"Congratulations to our great U.S.A. Ice Hockey team," Trump said in a Truth Social Post. "THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW!"
"LOTS OF WINNING!!!" Trump added.
RELATED: 'It's the greatest country in the world': USA hockey's Quinn Hughes praises America after epic win
A teary-eyed Hughes patriotically praised the United States moments after the historic win, saying how proud he is to be an American.
"This is all about our country right now," Hughes said. "I love the U.S.A. I love my teammates. It's unbelievable."
He added that "the U.S.A. hockey brotherhood is so strong, and we had so much support from ex-players. I'm so proud to be American today."
RELATED: NBC apologizes for calling female skier 'she'
"Unreal game by our team," Hughes also noted. "Just a ballsy, gutsy win. That's American hockey right there. That's a great Canadian team, but we're U.S.A. We're so proud to be Americans. Tonight was all for the country."
Hughes' brother Quinn scored an overtime goal to beat Sweden 2-1 Wednesday, which advanced the U.S. men's hockey team to the semifinals. Quinn Hughes remarked after the contest, "I love the U.S., and it's the greatest country in the world. So [I'm] happy to represent it here with these guys."
Adding to the theatrics, the U.S. women's hockey team also won Olympic gold, also beating Canada in the finals — and also in overtime — by a 2-1 score Thursday.
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Team USA junior ice hockey players captured hearts and sent a little pride back to America with their emotional, patriotic singing of the national anthem after winning the world championship Friday in Europe.
Check out the smiling youngsters belting out "The Star-Spangled Banner" after beating host Sweden 6-2:
— (@)
As you can see, nobody was taking a knee.
The players' verve caught the attention of more than a few prominent folks who praised their unashamed patriotism — in stark contrast to other American athletes who made headlines by disrespecting the anthem:
— (@)
“Att’n USA women’s soccer — this is what is expected of you if you agree to wear America’s jersey,” Megyn Kelly wrote on X. “Otherwise LET SOMEONE ELSE DO IT. These boys show how it’s done. Listen up. God bless them and God bless America!”
Riley Gaines sent a direct message to outspoken women's soccer icon Megan Rapinoe, who gained attention years ago for kneeling during the anthem and then made a name for herself by espousing left-wing social views.
— (@)
Republican Governor of Texas Greg Abbott wore his pride on his sleeve:
— (@)
Sports media personality Sage Steele called out her former employer ESPN, saying the American sports network completely ignored Team USA's "special moment" — unlike Canada's TSN Sports, which aired the stirring video:
— (@)
Former women's soccer star Carli Lloyd loved what she saw:
— (@)
After the U.S. women's soccer team in August made their earliest-ever exit from the World Cup — which pleased quite a few observers due to the wokeness associated with the team — Rapinoe took comfort in her squad's social activism that she said "changed the world forever."
A month later Rapinoe said said she's prouder "by a mile" of her "gay rights," "trans rights," and "racial justice" activism off the field than of her on-field accomplishments.
For her part, Lloyd criticized the women's team for celebrating after a 0-0 World Cup draw against Portugal, and former U.S. Men's National Team star Alexi Lalas called the women's team "unlikeable" after their elimination from the World Cup.
OutKick said Team USA's junior hockey players came into the world championship tournament in Gothenburg as the favorites to win the gold medal and went undefeated.
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I spent most of last night and this morning trying to figure out what's so different about Tamyra Mensah-Stock.
She's the 28-year-old black woman who won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling Tuesday and then celebrated like it was "1999." You know that faraway time The Artist Formerly Known As Prince used to sing about. Back then, Bill Clinton was president, Cher had the No. 1 song, "Believe." Ricky Martin was "Livin' La Vida Loca."
Two decades ago, it was commonplace for black American Olympians to wrap themselves in the flag and celebrate their homeland. Now we don't know what to expect. There's an expectation of some sort of anti-American protest.
American shot putter Raven Saunders won the silver medal and crossed her arms in an X above her head. She said she did it for oppressed people across the world. Saunders said that she and other athletes had been plotting ways to protest for two weeks over a group chat.
I don't think Tamyra Mensah-Stock was on that group text string. She's different. After winning her gold medal, she was overcome with joy. She honored God and celebrated her country.
"It's by the grace of God I'm able to even move my feet," she gushed. "I just leave it in his hands and I pray that all the practice, that the hell my coaches put me through pays off. And every time it does."
When a reporter asked her about the American flag draped over her body, she didn't hold back on her enthusiasm.
"It feels amazing. I love representing the U.S.," she said. "I freaking love living there. I love it, and I'm so happy I get to represent USA."
It's important you watch the entire interview. A written description does not do it justice. Her joy jumps through the television screen. You can feel her emotion and energy. Her authenticity exposes the robotic fraudulence of the protestors who plot their actions for weeks.
What makes Mensah-Stock different from Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, and so many of the other protesters?
It starts with her relationship with her father. Both of them. The one above and the one in the ground. Mensah-Stock enthusiastically professes a relationship with God. She has not chosen the secular path of her peers.
Her dad was her biggest fan. He died in a car accident driving home from one of her high school wrestling meets. She broke down when a reporter asked what her father would think of her gold medal performance.
The absence of your biological father -- or a bad relationship with him -- oftentimes creates a lifelong bitterness and cynicism. It's not true for everyone. But it is true.
Mensah-Stock's dad immigrated to America from Ghana. He came here to chase the American dream. He bought into this country and was rewarded for doing so. His children adopted his American spirit and values.
Broken families break the spirit.
LeBron James and Colin Kaepernick have and/or have no relationship with their biological fathers. We shouldn't be surprised that their view of America is ruled by cynicism and bitterness. Despite their economic riches, life has been unfair to them. There's no amount of money that can replace the love of a father and mother.
The lack of American pride is a byproduct of the breakdown of the nuclear family.
Mensah-Stock has modeled the behavior of her parents. She's created her own nuclear family. She's married to a wrestler from her college. She has an unwavering commitment to her immediate family. She said she's giving her Olympic prize money to her mom, so her mom can start a food truck business.
Mensah-Stock's parents laid an incredible foundation of support for their kids. That foundation launched a daughter all the way to the Olympics. It was awesome to see Mensah-Stock celebrate God, her dad, her mom, and her country.
That used to be commonplace for black athletes before we turned our backs on the family structure God prescribed.
It would seem that United States Olympic wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock has no time or inclination to act cool or witty or snarky or sassy.
Nope. All she has time for these days is getting ready to hit the mat — and pin her next opponent. Then when she scores her next victory, Mensah-Stock's emotions simply come flooding out.
And at no time was her unguarded, unaffected, pure joy — through tears and laughter — more apparent than when she won the women's light heavyweight (68-kilogram) gold medal Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics.
We need to protect this woman at all costs… An infectious beam of positivity, her spirit is undeniable. What an inc… https://t.co/aTCY8b7qSP
— The Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) 1627995526.0
"I'm feeling very happy, and I keep trying not to cry, but it keeps happening!" she said, trying to catch her breath, at a news conference with an American flag wrapped around her shoulders following her victory.
Mensah-Stock, 28, became only the second U.S. woman — and the first black woman — to win Olympic wrestling gold, NPR said. She is from Katy, Texas.
A reporter noted to Mensah-Stock in a brief moment of composure that "you started wrestling in the 10th grade" — and BOOM! More tears.
"I knew I could do it when I first started wrestling," she explained while continuing to cry. "I felt like I could be an Olympic champ, so I kept going." With that, Mensah-Stock pounded her hand down and said, "I did it!"
The reporter then brought up her father who died when Mensah-Stock was in high school — in a car accident on the way home from one of her wrestling meets, Yahoo Sports said.
With that, harder tears from Mensah-Stock as she placed her head on top of arms on the podium as the reporter asked how her dad might be reacting to her victory.
She then stood, cried some more, and rubbed her eyes: "He would be so proud! He would be so happy!"
Mensah-Stock then broke into a smile when she noted that her late father was from Ghana and that he was "like enemies with Nigeria," which made her final match against Nigeria's Blessing Oborududu "kind of like poetic."
She turned things up a notch when the reporter brought up that women's wrestling has been an Olympic sport only for a couple of decades — and with that, Mensah-Stock began jumping up and down.
"Yeah!" she cried before explaining how proud she is that younger girls can look up to her and perhaps follow in her footsteps.
Mensah-Stock added later in the interview that "it's by the grace of God I'm able to even move my feet. Like, I just leave it in His hands and I pray that all the practice ... the hell that my freaking coaches put me through pays off, and every single time it does, and I get better and better, and it's so weird that there is no cap to the limit that I can do. And I'm excited to see ... what I have next."
And when the reporter asked how it felt with the American flag around her shoulders, she had more than enough gas in her tank to give a shout out to her home country: "It feels amazing. I love representing the U.S. I freaking love living there. I love it. And I'm so happy I get to represent U-S-A!"
“I’m so happy I get to represent USA!” https://t.co/Y5CcjaPCbK
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) 1628016143.0
Yahoo Sports noted that when Mensah-Stock was asked what she would do with the money attached to gold medals, she had a very specific idea.
"I wanted to give my mom $30,000 so she can get a food truck, 'cause it's her dream," Mensah-Stock said, according to the outlet. "And I told her five years ago, 'Alright mommy, I'll get you your food truck, but you gotta be responsible. So my mom's gettin' her food truck!" Yahoo Sports noted, not surprisingly, that she danced from side to side, adding that her mom is "gonna have her little cooking business. She can cook really, really, really well. Barbecue!"
It’s another Monday that ends in “y,” which means that American athletes just spent the past weekend humiliating Canada in sports. The U.S. sled hockey team defeated their maple syrup-loving neighbors to the north on Sunday to win its fifth consecutive gold medal at the Winter Paralympics. The team’s victory came weeks after the U.S. […]
The U.S. men's national hockey team defeated Canada to earn Olympic gold, on the 46th anniversary of the 'Miracle on Ice.'
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