‘The joke was distasteful’: Seattle Torrent captain responds to Trump’s comment after Olympic gold

This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com

All four Seattle Torrent players who won gold for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan returned home on Wednesday to a warm welcome at the Space Needle.

Captain Hillary Knight, forward Hannah Bilka, forward Alex Carpenter, and defender Cayla Barnes were met by two-time Olympic medalist Megan Rapinoe alongside city council members and the Seattle Sports Commission, according to The Seattle Times.

Seattle’s newest Olympians each wore their new medals as they met in the Puget Sound Room to celebrate their historic run through the field en route to a 2-1 victory over Canada last Thursday.

In the gold medal game, Knight scored the game-tying goal in the final minutes to send Team USA to overtime. Knight’s clutch goal gave her the record for the most career goals, 15, and points, 33, in U.S. Olympic women’s hockey history. Knight was also selected to be the flag bearer for the U.S. during the closing ceremony on Sunday.

White House invitation drew criticism after Trump’s phone call with men’s team

The U.S. women’s hockey team’s triumph led to some controversy after President Donald Trump had a phone call with the men’s team, saying he would “have to” bring the women’s team to the White House along with the men’s team after both teams won gold.

“We are giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. I can send a military plane or something, but if you would like to, we’ll get Kash, or we’ll get the military to come get you over,” Trump said over the phone to the U.S. Men’s hockey team during their celebration. “We have to, I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that. [If not], I do believe I would probably be impeached.”

Players on the men’s team laughed at the statement Trump made during the phone call, but later went to bat for the women’s team, claiming they had become “tight with their group” after spending time with them in the Olympic Village.

“I just thought the joke was distasteful and unfortunate,” Knight said, according to The Seattle Times. “Just 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, and now I have to sort of sit in front of you and explain someone else’s behavior. It’s not my responsibility.”

Despite Trump’s invitation, the U.S. women’s team declined to attend the White House ceremony alongside the men’s team, citing logistical issues. The Torrent has a game scheduled for Friday, two days after the team returned home from Italy.

“These women are amazing, and whatever is going on shouldn’t ever outshine or minimize their work and our success on the world stage,” Knight added. “This was the best American women’s hockey team, the best American team, we’ve ever put together on a world stage when the lights were the brightest.”

Rapinoe criticized Trump’s remarks, praised women’s team’s historic achievement

Rapinoe, a gold and bronze medalist and a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, also came to the team’s defense, stating that she wouldn’t let Trump’s statement go unchallenged.

“You know I’m not going to let [it] slide, obviously. What was so clear to me about that phone call was that it had nothing to do with you and said nothing about you. The thing that I took [away] was immediately, I was like, ‘Oh, I know how I feel about [the men’s team], though.’ I think everybody who saw that clip or who watched that moment said, ‘Hell, no.’

“You might not be for everybody, whatever, but you are for us,” Rapinoe continued. “You are ours here in Seattle, you are ours here in America. Thank you for this incredible moment that you gave us that will be memories for the rest of our lives. You are a champion now, and nobody can say [expletive] about that.”

After a short stint away from the PWHL for their time at the Olympics, the Torrent will pick back up where they left off and begin the second half of the season with a home game against the Toronto Sceptres on Friday.

Knight highlighted the opportunity to play on such a big stage at the Olympics, her fifth appearance, and how that exposure can translate into more eyes on the Torrent in their inaugural season.

“People would only rediscover or recognize us once every four years. Now we have a consistent place to play,” Knight said. “We’re continuing to increase visibility and also marketability of the sport, draw new eyes, and continue to grow our fan base. Also, keeping our amazing fans engaged and giving them somewhere to watch us play and do amazing things together. I am really looking forward to having some of that Olympic attention continue to progress into the professional league.”

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