The US Men's Olympic hockey team is facing massive backlash after visiting the White House after their historic gold medal win.
{img}This is their first win in 46 years, but the controversy started during a celebratory phone call where the US President was seen joking about how he would have to invite the women's team as well, suggesting that he would be impeached otherwise. Some of those players were seen laughing at the remarks, and a video of the moment spread widely online. This sparked massive criticism because the women's team had also won a gold medal, and most felt that the joke was disrespectful towards the achievement.
{img}The women's team later chose not to attend the grand White House event, citing issues with scheduling. This further intensified the online debate. Critics were seen arguing about how showing up and laughing at this joke was a clear indication that they aligned with political messaging and disregarded their fellow players.
Fans on social media expressed very strong opinions, with some of them calling the action disrespectful or immature.