Members of the USA women’s hockey team appeared to take a subtle swipe at Donald Trump during a recent appearance on Saturday Night Live, following Team USA’s historic Olympic success. For the first time ever, the United States won gold in both the men’s and women’s hockey tournaments at the Milan-Cortina Games. The men defeated Canada 2–1 to claim their first Olympic title in 46 years, while the women secured a 2–1 overtime victory, with Megan Keller scoring the decisive goal. After the win, Trump invited both teams to his State of the Union address, joking that he would “probably be impeached” if the women’s team were not included — a comment captain Hilary Knight later described as “distasteful.”

The women ultimately declined the White House invitation due to prior commitments. During their SNL appearance alongside teammates and members of the men’s team, Knight drew cheers when she quipped, “It was going to be just us, but we thought we’d invite the guys, too.” Meanwhile, former soccer star Megan Rapinoe criticized the men’s team for accepting Trump’s invitation, arguing that the moment risked overshadowing their achievement. Speaking on her podcast, she suggested athletes should protect their accomplishments from becoming politicized, adding that such historic victories deserve to stand on their own.