"What special champions you are, Trump told the players, who had beaten Canada on Sunday in the final of the Winter Olympics. In Trump's America, proximity is never neutral. While the hockey players were greeted with warm applause from both Republicans and Democrats, Trump had also used the team as props in his speech. Our country is winning again, Trump said just before he introduced them."
"People are so negative out there, Jack Hughes, the scorer of the US's winning goal said later, referring to the backlash that followed the video. The team was excited to go Hughes said. Everything is so political. We're athletes, he said. When you get the chance to go to the White House and meet the president, we're proud to be Americans, and that's so patriotic."
"With Trump, everything is political. And while it's long been the case that sports and politics collide, these collisions have become more intense under Trump's presidency. We seem to be endlessly discussing who is allowed to participate or who is American enough to sing at the Super Bowl. Each issue seized upon by partisans and pundits, each seemingly a separate conversation."
During the State of the Union address, President Trump welcomed the US men's national hockey team to the House gallery and announced that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The team had defeated Canada in the Winter Olympics final. Trump introduced them as evidence that America is winning again, using their athletic achievement to support his political messaging. The players had previously encountered Trump on Sunday following their victory, when he invited them to the White House and mentioned bringing the women's team. Some interpreted the players' laughter as derisive, sparking backlash. Player Jack Hughes defended the team's patriotism and criticized the politicization of sports. The incident reflects broader tensions in the Trump era regarding the intersection of sports and politics.
#sports-and-politics #trump-administration #us-hockey-team #state-of-the-union #political-polarization
Read at www.theguardian.com
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