On Sunday night, President Trump called the U.S. men’s hockey team in their locker room in Milan to congratulate them on winning gold — the first for the men’s team since 1980. It was a warm call. He was proud. He invited them to the State of the Union. He offered a military plane.
And then he said this: “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team — you do know that.”
The locker room laughed.
Three days before that call, the U.S. women’s hockey team won gold. Also beat Canada. Also in overtime. Also 2-1. They went undefeated across seven games — 33 goals scored, two allowed. Their captain, Hilary Knight, scored the tying goal with two minutes left in her final Olympic game ever, then Megan Keller won it in overtime.
Historic. Dominant. By any measure — extraordinary.
And in that locker room three days later, they were the afterthought. The obligation. The thing the president remembered he was supposed to mention, delivered with a smirk to a room full of men who laughed right along with it.
In 2016, Donald Trump was caught on tape saying that when you’re famous, you can grab women wherever you want. His defense was that it was just locker room talk — men being men, saying the things men say when women aren’t around to hear it.
Here’s what’s different about Sunday. That time, he got caught. This time he was on speakerphone. On purpose. Being cheered.
There are two kinds of disrespect. One is loud and ugly and easy to condemn. The other laughs at itself and moves on. One version grabs. The other forgets — and finds that just as funny.
The women’s team earned that call. They earned their locker room moment, their military plane, their prime-time presidential congratulations.
They got a laugh line instead.
That’s locker room talk.
Watch the video above. Sources: USA Hockey · NBC Olympics · The Boston Globe · Gray Television
