Trump joked he’d be ‘impeached’ if he didn’t invite the women’s hockey team, and their response proved he had bigger problems

The U.S. women’s ice hockey team has declined President Donald Trump’s invitation to attend his State of the Union address, following their gold-medal win at the Winter Olympics. A spokesperson from USA Hockey confirmed the decision in a statement, saying, “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.”

According to The Time, the spokesperson also noted that “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate.” As of now, the men’s team has not released a statement about their plans regarding either invitation.

The invitation came directly from President Trump during a congratulatory call to the U.S. men’s hockey team, who had just won their own gold medal, beating Canada in overtime at the Milano Cortina Games. It was the U.S.’s first gold medal in men’s hockey in 46 years. Trump offered to send a military plane to bring the team to Washington D.C., calling the State of the Union “the coolest night” and “the biggest speech.”

The women’s team’s decline came amid some logistical challenges from the start

During that same call with the men’s team, Trump extended the invitation to the women’s team as well. “I must tell you, we’re gonna have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” Trump said, according to videos shared on social media. He joked, “I do believe I probably would be impeached, OK?” which got laughs from the players.

Before the women’s team declined, House Speaker Mike Johnson had told reporters there was “no way to have special guests on the floor” for the State of the Union because “it’s a literal session of Congress.” He did add that officials were trying to find a way to “accommodate” the teams for the speech. Trump has also been making headlines for other bold moves lately, including his announcement of sending a hospital boat to Greenland, which drew a sharp response from the country’s prime minister.

The White House was also active on social media around the men’s team’s win. They responded to a past post from Canada’s former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who after a Canadian victory last February had written, “You can’t take our country – and you can’t take our game.”

The White House posted a photo of a bald eagle pinning down a Canadian goose in response. When the U.S. women’s team won their gold medal, the White House account posted, “WE ARE SO BACK. RED, WHITE, & BLUE RUNNING THROUGH OUR VEINS.”

FBI Director Kash Patel faced scrutiny after videos showed him celebrating with the men’s team in the locker room. This coincided with several high-profile security events, including an armed man being shot and killed at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, and discussions about potential strikes on Iran. Patel was also in Milan during a Mexican military raid that killed drug kingpin “El Mencho” using U.S. intelligence. 

Around the same time, Trump was also making waves on other fronts, including his furious remarks aimed at the Supreme Court alongside the reveal of a new tariff project. With the Olympics now over, players from both U.S. hockey teams are returning to their teams in the NHL, the Women’s Hockey League, and college programs. The NHL is set to resume games on Wednesday, with the WHL following the next day.