Hilary Knight calls Trump’s women’s hockey remark ‘distasteful’ as Tucci dinner goes viral

U.S. women’s ice hockey captain Hilary Knight is pushing back against a widely circulated joke made by President Trump about the women’s team — and social media is rallying around the players after images of their Milan dinner with actor Stanley Tucci drew a sharp contrast to the men’s team’s White House meal.

Ms. Knight, 36, who became the most decorated player in U.S. women’s hockey history after capturing her second Olympic gold medal at the Milan-Cortina Games, addressed Mr. Trump’s comments Wednesday on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” She called the president’s remarks “a distasteful joke” that has overshadowed the women’s achievements at the Games.

“We’re just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history,” Ms. Knight said. “And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.”

The controversy stems from a Sunday congratulatory phone call Mr. Trump made to the U.S. men’s team in their locker room after they defeated Canada to win gold. During the call, Mr. Trump told the players he would invite them to the White House and the State of the Union address, then added — to laughter from several players — that he would also have to bring the women’s team. “I do believe I probably would be impeached,” he said.

The video went viral, drawing widespread criticism online. The U.S. women’s team, which had already beaten Canada 2-1 in overtime to claim its own gold medal — their third in program history — subsequently declined an invitation to attend the State of the Union, citing scheduling conflicts and academic and professional commitments. The men’s team attended the Tuesday address, with 20 of 25 players appearing at the White House.

“Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate,” USA Hockey said in a statement. “They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”

At the State of the Union, Mr. Trump said the women would “soon be coming to the White House.” A USA Hockey spokesperson later told Front Office Sports that any opportunity to visit would be “based on their schedules once their seasons conclude.”

As the political back-and-forth played out, a separate storyline captured the internet’s attention: a Feb. 10 USA Hockey Instagram post showing the women’s team dining with actor and culinary enthusiast Mr. Tucci at a restaurant in Milan. The post — captioned “Lunch with @stanleytucci…an absolute dream for members” — racked up more than 90,000 likes. Meanwhile, a clip circulating on social media showed the men’s team eating McDonald’s burgers and fries at a White House dining table.

The contrast fueled a wave of commentary online, with fans noting the juxtaposition between a fine Italian lunch and a fast-food spread. Mr. Tucci, known for “The Devil Wears Prada” and his food travel series “Searching for Italy,” brought out a risotto dish as NBC cameras rolled.

Rapper Flavor Flav also announced that he would host a separate celebration for the women’s Olympic medalists in Las Vegas, calling it “a real celebration.”

Several players on the men’s team have expressed remorse over the locker room moment. Backup goalie Jeremy Swayman said the team “should have reacted differently” to Mr. Trump’s comments, while gold medal game winner Jack Hughes told reporters Wednesday that the viral moment did not reflect his team’s views.

“We have so much respect for the women’s team and they have so much respect for us,” Mr. Hughes said after his first game back with the New Jersey Devils. “We are all just proud Americans.”

Ms. Knight echoed that the two squads share a genuine bond, saying the men were “in a tough spot” in the moment and that the real story — their mutual support — was being overshadowed.

“I think there’s a genuine level of support there and respect,” she said. “I think that’s being overshadowed by a quick lapse.”