The gold-medal winning U.S. women’s hockey team declined President Trump’s invitation to attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
Trump called the U.S. men’s team with an invite after its thrilling overtime victory against Canada to win gold on Sunday. During that call, he also said “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that” and joked he might otherwise be impeached.
The U.S. women’s team — which also beat their Canadian counterparts in Italy to win their tournament — thanked the President for the invite before taking a pass.
“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” the team said in a statement released Monday. “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”
Many of the women players were not expected to return home until Monday night. The men’s team arrived in Florida earlier in the day.
The Associated Press reported the women’s team didn’t know they’d been invited to Washington D.C. until Sunday evening. That made returning on time for the President’s Tuesday night speech logistically complicated.
That isn’t to say they won’t have time to get settled into their living rooms before the nationally televised address finally ends. Trump said Monday he plans to talk a lot.
“I mean, it’s going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about,” the President said at a White House event.
The SoTU speech is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.
With News Wire Services
