Rusty Weiss
The gold medal-winning U.S. women’s ice hockey team has declined an invitation from President Trump to attend his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. The men’s team excitedly accepted the invite.
The ladies, however, aren’t citing any political reasons for declining the invite.
“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,” a team spokesperson told NBC. “They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”
The team cited bad timing and “previously scheduled academic and professional commitments.”
The decision comes shortly after both the men’s and women’s teams captured Olympic gold in overtime victories over Canada at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina.
🚨 GOLDEN GOALS
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) February 23, 2026
Both Men’s AND Women’s Hockey teams won GOLD in OVERTIME — scored by absolute PATRIOTS! 🇺🇸
I love the USA… We're so proud to be Americans." – Jack Hughes
“It’s an honor to represent our country and wear USA across our chests.” – Megan Keller pic.twitter.com/1tvj3ha0a3
U.S. Women’s Hockey Declines Trump State of the Union Invite: Olympic Gold Medalists Cite Scheduling Conflicts
While the men’s team happily accepted the offer—following a celebratory phone call from Trump in which he extended the invitation and joked about needing to include the women to avoid impeachment—the women’s squad has opted out.
“I’ll tell you what. I just told my people two minutes ago, I didn’t know they’d be calling, I said we’re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night,” Trump told the men in a phone call. “I can send a military plane or something, but if you would like to, it’s the coolest night, it’s the biggest speech …”
“We’re in,” one player shouts before Trump can finish his thought.
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The women, however, said not so fast. Some have suggested the decision was due to politics. Others have claimed it was due to Trump’s joke when speaking to the men, a wholly perceived slight.
“And we have to, I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that?” he joked to the boys. “I do believe I probably would be impeached.”
Some fans expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity to honor the women at the highest level.
The women’s gold medal marked another triumph in a rivalry dominated by Canada in recent years, and despite the decline for the SOTU appearance, the team remains celebrated for elevating the sport’s growth.
The men’s team is expected to attend the address, with potential follow-up events at the White House celebrating their historic victory.