As ridicule simmered over members of the U.S. hockey team eating McDonald’s at the White House this week, some observers claimed victory for the U.S. women because their players dined with actor Stanley Tucci at the Cortina Olympics in Milan.
“The US women’s hockey team had a fancy meal in Milan with Stanley Tucci,” wrote one person. “The men’s team got McDonalds in the White House with a dictator. The women are the winners here.”
The women, apparently fresh off an early victory at the Games, dined with the “Hunger Games” star and cookbook author at a restaurant on the list in the Michelin Guide as NBC cameras rolled.
A clip shared on February 9 showed the chef pulling out a risotto dish as the conversation bubbled along.
The women, who like the men defeated rival Canada in extra time for the gold, turned down an offer from Donald Trump to visit him after he belittled them. As he invited the men to the White House and State of the Union addresses, he snapped that he would have to invite the women too or he would be impeached.
USA Hockey said the women had scheduling conflicts. Rapper Flavor Flav later announced that the women had accepted his offer to join him in Las Vegas for a “real party.” Trump addressed the issue again during his State of the Union address in front of the men’s team. He claimed that the women would eventually come to the White House.
But his jokes left a bad taste in the mouth of captain Hilary Knight, who called it “distasteful” on Wednesday.
Commentators said the women had triumphed anyway – because of the cuisine and the company.
Some posts seemed to confuse the timing of the Tucci meeting, but they’re still worth digesting.
