Gov. Wes Moore invites US women's hockey gold medalists to Maryland

Jeff Barker, Baltimore Sun on Feb 26, 2026

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BALTIMORE — Gov. Wes Moore — stepping into territory more often associated with presidents — invited the Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. women’s hockey team to visit Maryland’s capital.

Moore’s invitation represents the latest in a political-sports drama that began when President Donald Trump appeared to slight the women’s team while praising the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team, which also won gold.

The women’s team politely declined to attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol by Trump, saying in a statement that the “timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments” prevented their participation. Members of the men’s team attended and received a standing ovation, and goalie Connor Hellebuyck was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Trump and Moore, who’s seen by national Democrats as a potential future presidential candidate, have become political adversaries, clashing several times over the last year, most recently about the responsibility for cleaning up a Potomac River sewage spill.

“You reminded this country what teamwork and resilience looks like in real time,” Moore, a first-term Democrat, said in a social media video invitation to the women’s team.

“Now I know the schedule didn’t line up for you to see the president,“ the governor said with a smile. “So, I personally wanted to let you know that Annapolis is ready for you.”

Both the U.S. women’s and men’s teams defeated Canada in the gold medal games in Italy.

“Obviously, at one level this is a political stunt,” Mount St. Mary’s University political science professor Michael Towle said of Moore’s invitation. “Inviting sports teams to the State of the Union, I suppose, are political stunts as well.”

Trump said in his speech that the women had been invited to the White House and that the visit would come soon.

Asked for reaction Thursday to Moore’s invitation, a White House official told The Baltimore Sun: “As the President and U.S. Women’s Hockey Team have stated, we look forward to hosting them at the White House after their tremendous victory and celebration.”

Trump was criticized by women’s sports advocates for his handling of a congratulatory call to the men’s team after their overtime, gold medal win. The president joked that he would “probably be impeached” if he didn’t invite the women’s team to the White House along with the men.

Trump “probably messed up a little by not thinking it through,” Towle said.

It’s not known if the women’s team members would accept the invitation. A Moore spokesman said he had no comment beyond the video.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USA Hockey, which oversees the national team, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.