US ice hockey star who defended Trump’s ‘sexist’ joke has blunt response to teammate’s apology
Jack Hughes sat down with reporters and was asked if he 'agrees' with his teammate's words about Trump's joke about the women's team
Team USA hockey player, Jack Hughes, has responded to his teammate’s words over his team’s reaction to US President Donald Trump's 'sexist' joke at the Olympics.
Trump's comments were not well received after the men’s team won 2-1 over Canada at the Winter Olympics.
Three days beforehand, on 19 February, the women, also took home the same 2-1 result against Canada in their own final, but unlike the men, they didn’t get a personal call from Trump or an invitation to the White House.
Instead, a video on social media began to be shared online which shows FBI Director Kash Patel drinking from a bottle of beer, and holding up a phone as Trump called to share the moment.
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It was that moment that the 79-year-old Republican could be heard offering to fly the team to Washington for Tuesday’s address (24 February), before stopping off to visit the White House the next day.
"We’re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. I could send a military plane or something, if you would like to. It’s the coolest night. It’s the biggest speech," he said over speakerphone.
But then he took the opportunity to joke about the women’s team, telling the group: "And we have to - I must tell you - we’re going to have to bring the women’s team."
People could be heard laughing in the room at this as he added: "[If I don’t] do that, I do believe I probably would be impeached, OK?"
In response to the backlash calling the comments ‘sexist’ and hating on the men’s team for laughing, team mate Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal, was among the first to speak out.
However, another team member, called Jeremy Swayman said he has 'so much respect for the women's team' and admitted that laughing was an error on their part.
In a video shared by the New England Hockey Journal's journalist Evan Marinofsky, asked: "Jeremy, there was some reaction to the post-game video. What is your reaction to that?"
The sportsman replied: "Yep, should have reacted differently. We know that. We're so excited for the women's team. We have so much respect for the women's team, and to share that gold medal with them is something that we'll be forever grateful for."
He added: "You know, now that we're home, we get to share that together forever and see the incredible support that we have from the USA, sharing this incredible gold medal."
But now, Hughes has issued another response of the back of Swayman’s when asked about it today, with the New York Post Sports X page posting the clip.
In it, Hughes can be seen sitting in front of reporters as he’s asked if he agrees with the goalie’s words.
To this, he said that ‘in the moment’ when the ‘President calls’, things happened.
Saying it ‘is what is it’, he shared that they have ‘so much respect for the women’s team’ and that they also respect the men’s team too.
Calling everyone just ‘proud Americans’, he went on to say they’re all just ‘happy we swept the Olympics’.
Hughes’ latest statement comes after he initially told the Daily Mail: “They've got busy schedules, too. Everyone is giving us backlash for all the social media stuff today.”
"People are so negative out there, and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing."
Hughes continued: "Our relationship with them, over the course of being in the Athletes' Village, I think we are so tight with their group.
"After we won the gold medal, we were in the cafeteria at 3.30 am in the morning with them, and we go from there, pack our bags and we're on the bus.
"People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them and we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us."
Hughes reportedly said in response to whether he was excited to fly out: "Yeah, we're excited. Everything is so political. We're athletes.
"We're so proud to represent the US and when you get the chance to go to White House and meet the President, we're proud to be Americans and that's so patriotic.
"No matter what your views are, we're super excited to go to the White House tomorrow and be a part of that."
Topics: Donald Trump, Olympics, Sport
Britt Jones