HuffPost Mocks Team USA Pride — Americans Clap Back

In the wake of Team USA’s first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” two prominent leftist outlets derided the patriotic celebration, triggering a visceral response from the American public.

Huffington Post posted the following on X: “If waving the American flag or chanting ‘USA!’ turns you off right now, you’re not alone.”

If waving the American flag or chanting “USA!” turns you off right now, you're not alone.  https://t.co/ndUODJtix4

— HuffPost (@HuffPost) February 21, 2026

The HuffPo article linked in X post went further, arguing: “While President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda separates families, and federal agents detain 5-year-olds and kill unarmed civilians, American athletes are winning medals on behalf of the nation at the Olympics right now. This whiplash between pride for United States competitors and national shame for the federal government is common.”

The article continued: “The degree to which you feel shame and guilt right now for cheering U.S. Olympians might also depend on how much cognitive dissonance you have between the stated values of being American –– freedom, revolutionary spirit, opportunity for all –– versus how our government has actually acted in the hundreds of years since the U.S. was formed …”

The post was brutally “ratioed” — social media shorthand for when replies vastly outnumber likes. By Monday morning, it had received roughly 25,000 replies compared to about 1,500 likes.

“If you can’t be excited about winning gold at the Olympics— including in OT vs Canada, you don’t have a pulse. Some people will pick victimhood and being miserable over having an ounce of patriotism. Good luck,” Oklahoma GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin wrote on X.

If you can’t be excited about winning gold at the Olympics— including in OT vs Canada, you don’t have a pulse.

Some people will pick victimhood and being miserable over having an ounce of patriotism. Good luck. ???????????????????????? https://t.co/3bRT9ONwWs pic.twitter.com/deLxmJJ3vw

— Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) February 22, 2026

Axios acknowledged the celebratory environment but also threw cold water on the excitement, writing: “Celebrating American athletes is nothing new — but in a hyper-partisan political environment, the president and MAGA world voices have also used their platforms to boo some U.S. talent.”

The Left mocking the patriotic Olympic moments is not new. During the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Time Magazine downplayed the legacy of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” writing: “In the professional sporting press, references to the Miracle on Ice have become a grating cliché, much more likely to inspire a cringe in the context of Sochi than a wistful stare into the distance.”