Team USA hockey player Tage Thompson responded after some fans called him out for wearing a Make America Great Again hat on a visit to the White House.
“I’m proud to be an American, and I have my own faith, my own beliefs, and everyone’s entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, as well,” Thompson, 28, told Outkick on Wednesday, February 25. “I think we should be able to live in peace knowing that not everyone’s going to agree with you.”
Thompson was seen wearing the MAGA hat in a photo with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during Team USA men’s hockey team’s trip to meet President Donald Trump on Tuesday, February 24.
He was also wearing the hat while being shown through the U.S. Capitol before attending Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday evening.
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In discussing his decision to support the president on his trip to D.C., Thompson spoke about his strong religious foundation.
“Jesus is everything to me,” Thompson said. “Obviously, we’re made imperfect. We’re all sinners, and we need him. And I fall short every single day, and he’s the one I rely on.”
He continued, “I think when you have that sense of hope, the grace and the mercy that I receive every day from him is something that gives me peace and joy in life, no matter what I do. And he’s blessed me with this game and this opportunity to play the game I love at a high level, a beautiful family and friends, people [surrounding] me that I love. And I’m just very grateful.”
Thompson returned to NHL action on Wednesday, February 25. He scored his 31st goal of the season as the Sabres defeated the New Jersey Devils, 2-1.
Before the game, Thompson was included in a ceremony honoring Devils star Jack Hughes, who scored the gold medal–winning goal in overtime against Team Canada on Sunday, February 22.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” Thompson told reporters after the game about the ceremony. “[Hughes is] a class act. Cares about his teammates. Cares about his country, his team. Obviously, he scores the overtime winner, and that’s supposed to be a moment for just him. For him to include me in that was really special. I definitely appreciated that.”
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He continued, “We battled through something together. We’re going to be able to share that moment for the rest of our lives. We’re linked together with all of those guys.”
Hughes, 24, also spoke to reporters after the game, addressing the backlash he and his teammates have faced for laughing after Trump joked that he’d “probably be impeached” if he didn’t extend a White House invitation to Team USA’s women’s hockey team, who also won gold at the Olympics.
“You’re in the moment, the president calls,” Hughes said. “We’re blaring the music and then they pause the music and then the president calls. I don’t think … obviously, it is what it is now.”
He added, “We have so much respect for the women’s team. They have so much respect for us. We’re all just proud Americans. We’re happy that we both swept the Olympics.”
