By Sarah Holliday

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina have wrapped up, leaving behind a legacy of American excellence on the ice and snow. Team USA delivered an unforgettable performance that resulted in 12 gold medals — which surpassed the previous record of 10 at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. They also secured 33 total medals to finish second overall behind Norway. Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams captured gold in thrilling overtime victories against archrival Canada, capping a Games filled with breakthrough moments and sheer grit.

In the afterglow of these triumphs, many of the athletes let their pride shine unfiltered. They waved the Stars and Stripes with fervor, unleashed booming “USA!” chants, and radiated genuine joy in representing their country. For countless everyday patriots watching from home, these scenes were a welcome surge of national unity and unapologetic celebration — a reminder of what makes America worth cheering for.

Yet for some of the mainstream media, this outpouring of pride provoked discomfort, even disdain.

HuffPost provided their own example of this in a post on X: “If waving the American flag or chanting ‘USA!’ turns you off right now, you’re not alone.” The outlet’s article went further, contrasting the athletes’ victories with what it described as national shame under the current administration, writing, “While President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda separates families, and federal agents detain 5-year-olds and kill unarmed civilians, American athletes are winning medals on behalf of the nation at the Olympics right now. This whiplash between pride for United States competitors and national shame for the federal government is common.”

Jemele Hill, writing in The Atlantic, argued that the Trump administration had placed Olympic athletes in “an impossible position,” asserting that “the administration’s actions … have made the country so hard to defend and represent.”

Other coverage targeted specific triumphs, reframing them through a political lens. In The New York Times, Jerry Brewer critiqued the men’s hockey team — still riding the high of their riveting win — for accepting White House invitations and appearing at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. “In normal times, this would be an obligatory celebration for a championship team,” Brewer wrote. “But this isn’t a neutral climate. This isn’t a neutral president. And in a nation this polarized, the proximity carries weight whether the players are being intentional or merely naive.”

He further claimed that “America no longer experiences these rituals in the same way, and it may never again,” warning that athletes should recognize how “celebration is easily repurposed into political capital.” Brewer concluded, even as he acknowledged their on-ice achievement, the team participating in the events on Capitol Hill had “narrowed their moment” and diminished some of their goodwill.

USA Today’s Mary Clarke echoed this, writing that “the USA men’s hockey team utterly failed to meet the cultural moment.” She claimed it was “a dream come true” to see the team take gold, only to be disappointed and embarrassed with “what has happened since.”

A key flashpoint that preceded the actual White House visit was a locker-room video call with President Trump, where he congratulated the men’s team and extended an invitation to the State of the Union. In a lighthearted moment, Trump joked about including the women’s gold-medal team by saying, “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that.” He added, “If I don’t, I do believe I probably would be impeached.” The players’ laughter drew sharp criticism, with some interpreting it as dismissive or even misogynistic toward the women’s squad.

Quickly, critics seized on this to accuse the men’s team — and specifically stars like New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, who scored the game-winning goal — of not truly supporting women’s sports. And yet, even a quick glance at the past two weeks shows strong mutual respect: both teams shared the Olympic village, rooted for each other throughout the Games, and celebrated parallel victories over Canada. Hughes himself paid tribute to women’s team member Megan Keller — who scored the women’s golden goal — upon his own scoring moment.

Pushing back against the narrative, Jack Hughes addressed the criticism head-on, saying that “people are so negative out there and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing.” He highlighted the heavy politicization clouding what should have been pure celebration, with his brother Quinn stating, “The support back and forth” between the teams and “just to get to know them a little better was special.” Both refused to apologize for the team’s visit with the president.

Ellen Hughes — mother of men’s players Jack and Quinn Hughes, a former U.S. women’s hockey player, and current player development consultant for the women’s national team — also tackled the controversy directly. “At the end of the day,” she asserted, “it’s just about the country. … These players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country … that’s what it’s all about. … They care about humanity. They care about unity, and they care about the country.”

Even more rallied to the athletes’ defense. New Jersey Devils announcer Don La Greca, for example, targeted the “sexist” framing given by critics, calling it agenda-driven cherry-picking: “It’s only a bad look, because that’s the way somebody wanted to paint it. … People cherry-picking comments, people trying to get a reaction, they’ve been supportive. … Jack’s mom was involved in the women’s game. Can we stop? Please stop!” He insisted the laughter had been twisted out of context.

Former NHL star Jeremy Roenick also decried the broader politicization, saying it’s “a real shame” that cynics couldn’t allow the nation to unite around the win. “Shame on everybody for not celebrating this,” he said. “Sports [are] not supposed to be political. It’s supposed to unite the country. … The hypocrites are coming out in droves, and it’s unfortunate we can’t take the greatest moments in sports and all celebrate it. It’s a real shame.”

National Review’s Charles Cooke framed the “freakout” as an assault on pluralism, arguing that pressuring athletes to avoid traditional celebrations (like White House visits) unless they fully align with the president demands ideological conformity rather than allowing coexistence in a diverse society. He defended the team’s actions as routine tradition, not endorsement. As he put it, “Ultimately, being an American involves accepting that the people who oppose you on some extremely important things are also Americans, and agreeing to coexist with them nevertheless.”

On Capitol Hill, Republican lawmakers were also quick to condemn the media’s attacks. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) posted on X: “If you can’t be excited about winning gold at the Olympics — including in OT vs Canada, you don’t have a pulse. Some people will pick victimhood and being miserable over having an ounce of patriotism. Good luck.” Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) declared, “Proud to be an American today, tomorrow, and every day.” Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) went further, suggesting outlets fueling such criticism should consider leaving the country.

The pushback extended to public figures, podcasters, and ordinary citizens alike. Echoing Rep. Fine, one commenter captured the frustration by writing, “If waving the American flag or chanting ‘USA!’ turns you off, you should renounce your right to be here. It’s okay (and healthy) to disagree with the country’s policy, but if patriotism gives you the ick then just… leave.”

In the end, these Olympic heroes earned their glory through sweat, skill, and unbreakable resolve. Their unabashed pride in the red, white, and blue was an inspiring moment at a time of so much national division and strife. And for millions of Americans, their victory was a moment of pure, unifying joy — which many agree is worth celebrating.

Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand. This piece was originally published here.