Megan Rapinoe, known for her outspoken criticism of Donald Trump, has taken aim at the U.S. men’s hockey team, accusing them of tarnishing their Olympic gold victory by laughing at a joke made by the president about the women’s team’s achievements.

Following their exhilarating overtime victory against Canada, Trump visited the men’s team in their locker room on Sunday. He extended an invitation to them for the State of the Union address, humorously noting that he should also invite the women’s team to avoid impeachment.

While the men’s response to Trump’s jest was one of laughter, this reaction has drawn widespread criticism. Meanwhile, the U.S. women’s team, who also secured a gold medal by defeating Canada in Italy, declined Trump’s invitation, citing pre-existing commitments that could be shifted if needed.

Discussing the incident with her wife Sue Bird on their podcast ‘A Touch More,’ Rapinoe remarked, “In what I consider a classic case of ‘snatching defeat from the jaws of victory,’ the U.S. men’s hockey team, in their moment of triumph, managed to undermine their own success.”

She continued, “By allowing themselves to be associated with what I see as clownish behavior, they’ve made themselves look foolish.”

Megan Rapinoe has slammed the men’s USA hockey team for cozying up to Donald Trump

Rapinoe said their laughter at Trump’s joke about the women’s team made them look ‘clowns’

Rapinoe further commented on the atmosphere in the locker room, mentioning Kash Patel’s presence and questioning the conduct. “I’m not saying everything has to be formal, but what are we doing when the FBI director is partying and drinking beers?”

‘They get on the phone with Trump and Trump makes the comment about the women’s team. We’re not gonna play it, it’s all over the internet and we’re not gonna platform that trash.’

Rapinoe then repeated Trump’s comments about having to invite the women’s team or risk being impeached and describes the laughter by the men’s USA team.

‘You just accomplished this amazing thing,’ Rapinoe said. ‘You just gave this whole moment over to this person who you know is only going to use it for him. 

‘First of all, the joke isn’t even funny. I don’t understand the funny part of the joke. And, like, why don’t you respect you more than to have that moment be taken by someone who for no reason at all takes a huge swing and a jab at women who did the exact same thing as you did.’

Rapinoe then admitted that sometimes teams have minimal influence over who enters their locker room after a big game but insisted her USA soccer team knew not to let Trump or the Republican party near to them. 

‘I know what happens in those locker rooms,’ Rapinoe explained. ‘People get brought in, you have no say. 

‘They obviously didn’t think that having Kash Patel, or having Trump on the phone, was a threat. So they’re cool with it. But that’s why you don’t put yourself in that position.

FBI director Kash Patel was in the USA locker room celebrating the win against Canada

The USA team were then present for Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night

‘To have the President of the United States on the phone, you get yourself wrapped in this moment. For me, the choice point is like, I would’ve never as a captain or a leader on my team, that would’ve been clear to our staff and to the larger organization and support staff, those people would never be allowed in our locker room. 

‘He is using you to do something else. We had this opportunity after 2019 and I said, famously, didn’t realize it was on the record, that we would not go to the White House.

‘For me, I left this whole interaction, why don’t you respect you enough? And now, this is what people think about your moment. And that sucks.’

Rapinoe was involved in the feud with Trump that she mentioned when she insisted the USWNT would ‘not f***ing go to the White House’ if they won the 2019 World Cup.

Trump replied with a message that was, by his standards, fairly reserved.

‘I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women’s Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job! We haven’t yet,’ he said on social media.

‘We haven’t yet invited Megan or the team, but I am now inviting the TEAM, win or lose.’

The USA women’s team also won gold but turned down their State of the Union invitation

US soccer great Rapinoe has been a fierce and long-standing critic of President Trump

Rapinoe and the United States did eventually win the tournament but they did not visit Trump at the White House. 

Rapinoe has been a long-standing critic of Trump, ever since he ran for presidency for the first time.

‘I feel like I’m a walking protest,’ she said of her views of him in an interview with Yahoo in 2019. ‘I feel like it’s kind of defiance in and of itself to just be who I am and wear the jersey, and represent it.’ 

Meanwhile, speaking Thursday afternoon, USA men’s hockey player Charlie McAvoy apologized for how the team responded to Trump’s comments.

‘Certainly sorry for how we responded to it in that moment. You know, things just happened really quick there,’ he said.