In yet another indication that toxic left-wing “wokeness” is on its last leg, ESPN aired President Donald Trump’s phone call to Team USA before the hockey team’s match against Canada in the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off championship game.
As a reminder, leftist activists masquerading as “sports analysts” at ESPN have trashed Trump for years, essentially rendering him persona non grata.
In a stunning reversal this week, the anti-Trump sports network broadcast his Thursday morning phone call to Team USA, hours before it faced off against Team Canada.
During the call, the two-time president praised the players and wished them luck.
“You guys are really talented. I have great respect for hockey players. I’m a hockey fan. I love hockey,” Trump said.
“Go out and have a good time tonight! And I just wanna wish you a lot of luck. You really are a skilled group of people. It’s an honor to talk to you.”
At one point, the president joked: “Get out there. There’s no pressure whatsoever.”
The locker room erupted into laughter at that quip.
ESPN plays President Trump’s call with @usahockey before tonight’s #4Nations faceoff pic.twitter.com/7PKT0QzmJ4
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 21, 2025
Bill Guerin, the general manager of Team USA, replied, “Every person in here — player, staff, management, coaches — we are all proud Americans, and we want to represent our country the best way we can and do our best to bring in a win tonight.
“Thank you again on behalf of everybody.”
Trump responded, “You just go out and have a good time. You’re gonna win. And we love America, and we love you guys. We’ll be watching tonight. Bring it home!”
The players in the locker room reacted by applauding.
Team Canada eventually went on to beat USA 3-2, but several members of Team USA expressed gratitude and awe at receiving a call from the president.
Team USA received a call from the President this morning to wish them luck ahead of tonight’s #4Nations championship game. pic.twitter.com/he1kIgUVGW
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) February 20, 2025
“It was awesome. It was one of the cooler experiences I’ve had,” Team USA’s Vincent Trocheck said, per ESPN.
“Having the president of the United States call your team about a hockey game just seems kind of crazy, but it’s pretty cool.”
Fellow Team USA star J.T. Miller echoed the sentiment.
“Pretty cool. It was so awesome to hear the support,” Miller said, per ESPN. “It’s a pretty big deal for us to take time out of his schedule to talk to us.
“It’s just another one of those things where we’re pinching ourselves this tournament. It’s been really fun so far to see the support from everybody up to the president is pretty wild,” Miller added.
Teammate Brock Nelson agreed, saying the Trump call was “pretty incredible,” per the New York Post. “Anytime you have that opportunity to meet or speak or hear from the president, it’s a big deal.”
“For him to take time out of his day to wish us luck, talking about just enjoying the moment, a little bit about hockey players, is pretty special. Something I’m gonna remember forever,” Nelson gushed.
Meanwhile, numerous X users expressed shock that the anti-Trump network ESPN actually aired the call.
Surprised ESPN played it. Good for them.
— MAGA CANMAN ???????????? (@Ca30199057Chris) February 21, 2025
@ClayTravis/@sagesteele – can you believe ESPN played President Trump’s call on air?
— jerry maga ???????? (@_jerrymaga) February 21, 2025
Last month, podcaster Jason Whitlock — a former former sports journalist — noted that ESPN had “bent the knee” to Trump amid his triumphant return to the Oval Office.
ESPN has been avoiding Trump for the past decade. Last night, they put him up on the screen during the national championship. ESPN has bent the knee. pic.twitter.com/7L48B7l72x
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) January 21, 2025
After years of bending the knee to race-hustling grifters — such as Black Lives Matter — while trashing Trump and his supporters, it’s encouraging that ESPN has begun migrating back to the center.
However, it shouldn’t have taken a moonshot event such as a repeat Trump election win for this to happen. ESPN and other institutional purveyors of anti-American propaganda should never have drifted to the extreme left to begin with.
Here’s to hoping that a second Trump term once again normalizes unapologetic patriotism and American exceptionalism.
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