Riley Gaines slams Democrats over Trump hockey joke: 'Suddenly they know what a woman is?'

WASHINGTON, DC: Conservative political activist and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines weighed in on a political controversy sparked by comments President Donald Trump made about the US women’s hockey team, as well as the subsequent reactions from Democrats.

Team USA’s women’s hockey team captured gold with a thrilling 2–1 overtime win over Canada in the gold-medal game at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Their male counterparts followed suit, also defeating Canada 2–1 in overtime to secure the Olympic men’s hockey title.

Riley Gaines slams Democrats over reaction to Trump’s comments

During a discussion following the State of the Union address, Gaines criticized Democrats for what she described as efforts to target Trump over his remarks involving the women’s hockey team.

The controversy followed Trump’s  comments, "I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that," and joked that if he did not invite the women’s team, "I do believe I probably would be impeached."

A host commenting on the situation said, “Amazing athletes. I think it’s a moment for everyone to be proud, but it just kills me that some of these people are finding ways to trash this team.”

The host added that the president’s remark was clearly made in jest and urged critics to “get over it,” stating that the women’s team was indeed coming to the White House and that Trump would have been thrilled to host both teams.

Gaines responded to the host’s remarks by saying, “Thank you. Isn’t it funny they suddenly know what a woman is now?” Her comment reflected her broader criticism of Democratic reactions to the president’s statements.

Hilary Knight responds to Trump's joke on impeachment

Despite the celebratory context, the women’s Olympic hockey team declined Trump’s invitation to attend the State of the Union address. A spokesperson for USA Hockey said the team was sincerely grateful for the invitation and appreciated the recognition of their achievement, but scheduling conflicts due to academic and professional commitments prevented attendance.

Women’s team captain Hilary Knight called the president’s invitation a “distasteful joke” during an appearance on SportsCenter. Knight said the controversy was overshadowing the broader success of women at the Olympics and their gold-medal accomplishments for Team USA.

Addressing reactions from the men’s team, Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman said, “We should’ve reacted differently,” adding that the men were excited for and deeply respectful of the women’s team and grateful to share the gold-medal moment with them.

Knight later described laughter in the men’s locker room regarding the White House visit as a “quick lapse” in judgment. While acknowledging the tension, she stressed her pride in the men’s victory and said both teams should be celebrating a historic week for American hockey rather than dealing with political fallout.