Maria Lindén, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, criticizes U.S. President Donald Trump for leveraging the Olympics and Olympic athletes to bolster his image among supporters. Trump has made headlines by calling the U.S. men's ice hockey gold medal team to congratulate them and inviting them to visit the White House, displaying photos with the gold medalists on social media channels. This strategy suggests a calculated approach to use athletic success as a political tool.

Lindén also points out that Trump hosted a State of the Union address, inviting the women’s hockey team, yet they declined to attend citing academic and work commitments. These decisions resonate with the political atmosphere in the U.S., revealing possible connections between Trump's light-hearted comments and the women athletes' absence, such as his joke about having to invite the women to avoid accusations of misconduct. Such behavior could imply that Trump is deliberately creating a spectacle to distract from more serious issues, capitalizing on sporting victories to maintain support from his core constituency.

The article emphasizes the complex dynamics of sports and politics in America, especially with Trump’s reach into national pride during the Olympics. With the U.S. women's hockey team also having won gold in Milan, it raises questions about gender inclusion and the treatment of female athletes in Trump's political narratives. Lindén's insights encourage a reflection on the implications of intertwining sports achievements with political agendas, pointing out the difficulty in understanding these maneuvers within the broader context of Trump’s presidency and its impact on national sentiments regarding sports and athlete recognition.