Donald Trump praises men’s hockey players, but laughs at women

United States was crowned the ruler of the ice hockey world at the Milan-Cortina Olympics when it won both the men’s and women’s ice hockey tournaments.

President of the United States Donald Trump during his State of the Nation speech on Tuesday, he impressively brought the men’s gold team into the limelight.

“Our country is winning again. With us here are a group of winners who just made our entire nation proud,” he introduced the team in his speech at the congress.

The new Olympic champions were honored by standing for two minutes. Trump also revealed that he would reward the goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyckin for his heroic deeds with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Medal of Freedom is the highest honor awarded to civilians in the United States.

Even though Trump actively comments on events in the sports world, the adulation that has been seen is extraordinary even for him.

Researcher at the Foreign Policy Institute Maria Linden believes that Trump uses sports to draw attention away from topics that are embarrassing for him.

“This is a useful diversion for Trump. He’s got all kinds of domestic political problems: people are angry about immigration crackdowns, and the Supreme Court denied him the very excuse he used to impose tariffs on imports.”

“When things are going against the grain, sports success is something that all Americans can celebrate together. It [jääkiekkomaajoukkueen ylistäminen] was one of the few things in the State of the Nation speech that can be considered to have united the nation.”

In the process while Trump put the men’s team on a pedestal in his speech on Tuesday, the women’s championship team was conspicuous by its absence.

Like the men, the team was invited to the event, but declined citing study and work obligations. Trump assured that the women’s team would be considered “soon”.

However, a video filmed after the men’s Olympic final is spreading on social media, in which Trump comments on the women’s hockey team in a tone that sounds degrading.

In the video, Trump calls the newly minted men’s championship team, invites it to Washington, while belittling the women’s team.

“It must be said that I have to invite the women’s team as well. Otherwise I will be charged with official misconduct,” says Trump.

The players gathered around the phone burst into loud laughter.

Lindén sees this as an example of rhetoric that appeals to Trump’s own supporters.

“If it was aimed at something, it was to please its own core supporters. Trump’s popular movement throughout his political career has included misogyny and the idea that women and men have fundamentally different roles in society.”

“However, I also think it’s possible that at that moment he was just in the thrall of a sports victory. It wasn’t necessarily a calculated and thought-out act.”

Mixed in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, the United States defeated Canada in the finals. According to Lindén, this increases the effectiveness of Trump’s praise, as the relationship between the two countries has been particularly tense during the Trump era.

“Winning Canada has a propaganda value that, for example, winning Finland would not have had.”

According to Lindén, emphasizing one’s own superiority is typical in American culture. The phenomenon is therefore not directly related to Trump or his administration.

“Patriotism is bipartisan in the United States, and especially celebrated sports heroes cross party lines. Emphasizing the superiority of one’s own people is fundamentally American.”

Nevertheless, politics may have played a role. The brothers are among the brightest stars of the champion team Matthew and Brady Tkachuk are vocal Trump supporters.

Lindén considers it possible that praising the team would be partly Trump’s return service for, among other things, Tkachukie’s loyalty.

“It would be completely in line with Trump’s past actions for it to matter. He pays very close attention to who are his supporters and who are loyal to him.”