U.S. women’s hockey stars like posts criticizing men’s team Trump phone call

U.S. women’s hockey players like Instagram post calling out Trump phone call and men’s team reaction after Olympic win

Several members of the gold medal-winning U.S. women’s hockey team, including Laila Edwards, Taylor Heise and Gwyneth Philips, appeared to like Instagram posts on Monday that criticized a viral moment involving a congratulatory phone call from President Donald Trump to the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team. The posts, shared by fans and commentators on social media, took issue with Trump’s joking remark about having to invite the women’s team to a State of the Union-related celebration to avoid impeachment, and with how some players reacted to it.

The exchanges came after both the U.S. men’s and women’s teams won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with Trump joining a locker room video call arranged by FBI Director Kash Patel to congratulate the men’s squad. In that call, Trump suggested he would be “impeached” if he didn’t also invite the women’s team, a comment that drew laughter in the video and sparked criticism that it demeaned the women’s accomplishments.

In response to the social media posts calling out the remark and the laughter that followed, players such as Edwards, Heise and Philips used the simple act of liking content on Instagram, a public signal of support, as a subtle show of alignment with fans who felt the moment was disappointing and disrespectful. Some of those Instagram posts included quotes and commentary highlighting how the women’s team’s historic performance should not be treated as an afterthought or punchline.

The U.S. women’s team later declined to attend the State of the Union event, citing scheduling and professional commitments following the Games, and a USA Hockey spokesperson said the athletes were grateful for the recognition. Still, the online reactions by fans and the visible social-media engagement from Edwards, Heise and Philips have become part of a broader conversation on how elite female athletes are treated and respected relative to their male counterparts.