The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg criticized President Trump on Wednesday for featuring the United States men's Olympic hockey team at his State of the Union address while ignoring other American athletes who captured gold medals at the Winter Olympics.
Trump's address included a prominent moment when he introduced the men's hockey team following their dramatic two-to-one victory over Canada in the Olympic finals, earning resounding applause from attendees. The president praised the athletes as winners who made the entire nation proud, though Goldberg questioned why other gold medalists received no similar recognition.
Co-host Joy Behar expressed broader disgust with the entire speech, stating she felt physically ill and more nauseous than usual watching Trump, particularly during immigration discussion segments. She dismissed the president as unwell with narcissistic disorder off the charts, while directing even harsher criticism toward supporters she characterized as sycophants and acolytes praising his performance.
"You know what, he's also insanely rude, because a lot of people won gold for the U.S. The women's hockey team and the young skater who comes from an immigrant family — there are a lot of people," Goldberg responded.
Goldberg specifically noted the women's hockey team and a young figure skater from an immigrant background among those overlooked during Trump's selective Olympic celebration. Co-host Sara Haines attempted to lighten the criticism with a joke referencing the HBO Max series about romance between male hockey players, suggesting Trump's preference might reflect personal entertainment interests.
State of the Union addresses traditionally feature symbolic guests and moments highlighting American achievements and values. Presidents exercise discretion in selecting which stories and individuals to spotlight during these high-profile speeches that reach millions of viewers across political divides.
Conservative observers might note that The View hosts rarely find anything Trump does acceptable regardless of merit, making their State of the Union criticism predictable rather than newsworthy. The men's hockey victory represented a dramatic underdog triumph that captured national attention, making it reasonable State of the Union material even if other athletes also deserved recognition. However, the selective celebration does raise questions about whether Trump chose the team for genuine patriotic reasons or because their victory fit preferred narratives better than other gold medal performances by women or athletes from immigrant backgrounds that complicate his political messaging.