US Men’s Hockey Player Admits Team ‘Should’ve Reacted Differently’ to Trump’s Joke About Women’s Team

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Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman said he and his Olympic teammates should’ve handled their phone call with President Donald Trump differently.

Swayman recently returned to his NHL team after representing the United States in the Winter Olympics and winning gold over Canada. The gold medal was the Americans’ first in more than four decades, but much of the talk about the team was focused more on what went on after the game. Players were joined in the locker room by FBI Director Kash Patel, who was in Italy for the weekend and attended two hockey games.

At one point, Patel got Trump on the phone to congratulate the team. During that call, Trump invited them to the State of the Union address. He also joked that he’d begrudgingly have to invite the women’s team — which also won gold — or he’d be “impeached.” The remark was met with laughter from the men’s team.

Speaking to the media Wednesday, Swayman admitted that the team’s reaction to Trump’s joke should have been different.

“Yeah, we should’ve reacted differently,” Swayman said. “We know that we are 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’re forever grateful for. 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, and sharing this incredible gold medal.”

The women’s team declined Trump’s invite to the State of the Union address not longer after the video of the phone call went viral.

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