Welcome to the Party – Episode Summary

Episode: Our Response to the US Men’s Hockey Team
Date: February 26, 2026
Hosts: Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy (with frequent mention of Billie Jean King)
Theme: An unfiltered response to recent events involving the USA Men’s Hockey Team, Trump, and the ongoing disrespect toward women’s sports.

Episode Overview

This episode tackles the uproar following the USA Men's Hockey Team’s celebration after their Olympic gold medal win and President Trump’s controversial congratulatory call, in which he made a dismissive reference to the women’s team. Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy dig into why the incident matters, how the men’s team responded (or didn’t), and what this says about respect for women in sports and broader cultural attitudes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Incident Breakdown

• President Trump congratulates the men’s team but makes a dismissive comment about inviting the women, followed by laughter from the men’s team.
• Widespread criticism erupts, followed by pushback accusing critics of overreacting.
• The hosts intend to challenge that narrative directly.

Julie (00:00):

"As Trump always seems to do, he can't just congratulate someone. He has to s*** on someone else as well. ...the now way overplayed line of, oh, and I guess we're gonna have to invite the women as well, or I'll get impeached. Brought on a roar of laughter from the men's team."

2. Step-By-Step Reaction Guide

Step 1: Don’t Laugh

• Laughter at sexism enables it. The hosts are adamant: Don’t be complicit.

Abby (01:09):

"Yep, I'm fing tired of this bulls. Stop laughing, don't laugh, and just, I don't know, knock it all the fing way off. That is how I feel. Stop fing laughing at things that aren't funny."

Step 2: Apologize

• If a mistake is made, own it publicly and directly.

Julie (01:31):

"Step two, after laughing, apologize."

Abby (01:38):

"...If and when you make a mistake, because, you know, we are all human, after all, apologize and take accountability. Do not act like the victim here..."

Step 3: Reject Complicity

• The men’s team doubled down by accepting invitations to political events, worsening the disrespect.

Julie (02:15):

"...how do you not then say, that was wrong, we shouldn’t have done that? ...you should reject the offer to go to the State of the Union and instead, many of them accepted it."

Abby (03:25):

"...to be a prop in the Trump propaganda scheme...that tells me it wasn’t a mistake, that you were laughing. That confirms that the laughter was real."

Step 4: It’s Not About Partisanship

• Reject the framing by media outlets that this is just “liberal outrage.” It's a societal issue, not a partisan one.

Julie (04:34):

"This is not a liberal versus conservative thing as much as Fox News wants to make it so...It’s not a red versus blue thing. It’s not a man versus woman thing. It’s an and thing."

• The repeated minimization of women’s sports is part of a broader cultural issue, not limited to this particular event or political context.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

Acknowledgment of the Repetition

Abby (07:02):

"I think there’s a common theme...some of them are saying, yeah, it’s not surprising. ...And that is our way of protecting ourselves. You know what? I am surprised. Because this whole ‘boys will be boys’ locker room talk… I’m here to tell you, no, it does not stand. I won’t let this stand without saying something..."

Personal Stakes and the Message to Future Generations

Abby (08:00):

"I have two daughters and a son, so I’m speaking on behalf of my younger self, my current self, my future self, my children, all of them. And I’m also speaking for all of the daughters that these boy hockey players might have one day. Imagine them watching this video. Imagine what they will think of their father laughing..."

Cultural Reverberations and Persistence of Disrespect

Julie (10:43):

"It brought on so many emotions of how many times throughout our careers did someone say or you heard the backstory of, like, ‘oh, we’re gonna have to do it for the girls too, then we’re gonna have to give them equal pay, I guess...you should just be grateful you’re wearing the red, white and blue and sit down and shut up because you are a woman was the only thing left out of that statement.’"

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00-01:09 — Setting up the controversy; Trump’s call to the team and its aftermath
• 01:09-01:31 — "Don’t Laugh": The importance of responding in the moment
• 01:31-02:15 — "Apologize" and taking accountability
• 02:15-03:25 — Context about locker room moments, missed opportunities, and compounding the problem
• 03:25-04:34 — Rejecting complicity; the “propaganda” issue
• 04:34-07:02 — Rejecting false partisanship; making the issue a matter of respect
• 07:02-10:40 — The normalization of disrespect; the generational impact; “boys will be boys” called out
• 10:43-11:44 — How these incidents perpetuate the cycle of inequality
• 11:44-12:14 — Call to action: men and women together must demand better

Overall Tone

Direct, passionate, and unapologetically critical. The hosts speak with emotional intensity and personal conviction, addressing both the specifics of the incident and the broader systemic dynamics at play.

Final Thoughts & Call to Action

• Julie & Abby: This isn’t “just a joke” or a partisan squabble; it’s a call to society—men, women, everyone—to demand respect and equality in sports and beyond.
• Abby (11:57):

  "I do think we are better than this. And that’s why I feel so disappointed, is because I know that there’s a better version of this country in our future. And this is not the way we get there."

The episode closes with an implicit challenge to listeners: Demand more, demand better—don’t let disrespect and old tropes slide.