In a normal administration, advisors to the president of the United States would have taken note of the U.S. women’s hockey team’s gold medal win (“FBI director invites fresh scrutiny over travels with appearance at US men’s hockey team celebration,” Feb. 24). They would have suggested that he call the team — whose members would likely have appreciated it no matter their feelings about the current occupant of the office — and then the team would have been invited to the White House with other gold medal winners at some point.
Of course, the same thing would have been suggested about the men’s hockey team. None of this would be in question, even though everyone is aware that men’s hockey is more popular, more watched, and that the Olympic hockey tournament featured many National Hockey League stars.
In this administration? I guess Trump was watching Sunday’s men’s hockey gold medal game? After it was over, he was put on speakerphone by FBI Director Kash Patel, who was drinking a beer, wearing a USA jersey and someone’s gold medal as if he had earned it. President Trump then proceeded to make an unfortunate comment about the women’s hockey team and offered a military plane (any other U.S. Olympians get that?).
Here’s the best part. People seem to like the second scenario more than the first! They think it’s more “real” and less “woke.” They prefer that Trump have no advisers who might think in the big picture, and love that he just says what he thinks — or says things without thinking at all.
This was just a hockey game and not even an “important” one in the grand scheme. All those guys are headed back to North America to rejoin the pro teams for which they get paid handsomely to play. But it was a perfect example of the lack of seriousness that endears this administration to some but causes rightful ridicule and disdain from most.
— David Rosenfeld, Glen Burnie
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