Trump Successfully Exploited U.S. Hockey Team for Political Gain at Players' Expense
Source: Alex Kirshner. "Donald Trump got what he wanted out of the U.S. men’s hockey team.." February 27, 2026. slate.com
The Gist
The author argues that Trump cleverly used the Olympic hockey team's success for his own political benefit, getting great publicity while the players ended up dealing with all the negative consequences. The players were either too naive or too willing to ignore the obvious political risks of cozying up to such a controversial president.
Conclusion
Donald Trump got exactly what he wanted from the U.S. men's hockey team - political capital and photo opportunities - while the players ended up bearing the costs of public backlash and reputational damage
Premises
- Trump used the hockey team's Olympic victory for political theater, featuring them prominently in the State of the Union address
- The team actively participated in controversial behavior, including laughing at Trump's misogynistic comments about the women's team and allowing FBI director Kash Patel into their private celebration
- Trump's administration created fake AI content putting inflammatory words in player Brady Tkachuk's mouth without his consent
- The players faced significant public backlash and had to answer uncomfortable questions from media, while Trump faced no consequences
- This follows Trump's established pattern of using loyalists as props and then leaving them to deal with the fallout
- Hockey culture's conservative, apolitical stance made the players naive about the political risks of associating with Trump
Assumptions
- Athletes associating with controversial political figures will inevitably face public scrutiny
- Trump deliberately uses people for political gain without regard for their welfare
- The players were genuinely surprised by the negative reaction to their White House visit
- Hockey players' claims of political neutrality are either naive or disingenuous given their actions