Karoline Leavitt's White House photo with Team USA hockey stars ignites online fury over MAGA hat

Fox News ^ | 2/25/26 | Paulina Dedaj

[Libloather]

The U.S. men’s ice hockey team continued their Olympic gold medal celebrations back home with a whirlwind tour on Tuesday that began with an Air Force flight into Washington, D.C., and ended with a standing ovation at the State of the Union address.

But amid the praise, the team has faced some backlash on social media.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was among those in the administration to welcome the American hockey players before visiting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

Leavitt shared a photo on social media posing with deputy director of communications, Margo Martin, and several members of Team USA. The photo included Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, Jack and Quinn Hughes, and Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson.

Both Hughes brothers wore red and white USA hats, while Thompson sported a "Make America Great Again" hat, prompting widespread backlash on social media.

"How embarrassing," one person wrote on X in a post sharing the photo. Another person responded, calling Thompson a "scumbag" for wearing the MAGA hat.

[Sirius Lee]

Online Fury

Oh my! That's the furiest of furies.

[TimSkalaBim]

Why does “online fury” even rate news coverage anymore? It’s as unusual as “wet rain.”

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Constantly trying to infuriate people so they will read this or that article so they will see the ads. Constant manipulation, manipulation, manipulation by EVERYONE. Stop, stop, stop, stop!!!

[Vesuvian]

But when a Hollywood weirdo spouts off on some lefty talking point that's "speaking truth to power!"

"No one is illegal on stolen land!"

"So stunning and brave!"

[piytar]

Killing unborn babies, their corruption, and more taxes. That’s about it.

[Eli Kopter]

P*ss on ‘em.

[metmom]

Good.

Let them be outraged.

[dfwgator]

[rktman]

How triggering! W.I.N.N.I.N.G.! Some more!

[rktman]

Don’t say ‘furry’ by accident. 😊👍

[rlmorel]

[FoxInSocks]

This is another fine example of “journalism” and “reporting” in the 21st century. Cut-and-paste a bunch of anonymous comments from the Internet to support the narrative summed up in the clickbait headline.

[bray]

Dims are extremely tolerant of everyone they agree with.

[libertylover]

Pavlovian responses from the nose-ring collective.

I call them "snot rings".

[econjack]

...the team has faced some backlash on social media. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was among those in the administration to welcome the American hockey players before visiting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

Screw the social media. If they can't celebrate the men's team hockey victory, they have a distorted and incorrect view of the spirit of the American people. F$#k 'em!

[Who is John Galt?]

Photo:

[citizen]

These people with uncontrollable rage about the hockey players, the Illegals/ICE, LGB everything, the religious folk - are the people who would rule you with an iron fist if they could...remember the calls to imprison those not wearing a mask or not getting the non-vaccine Covid shot?

[daler]

“Make America Great Again.”

OMG what a horrible message!

What if children see that?!?/s

[Albion Wilde]

Leavitt wasn’t wearing the hat; but anything to smear a Trump loyalist.

[falcon99]

And I say to all those who are upset about it: FU, live with it.