US champion bobsledder Kaillie Humphries defends men's hockey team, backs Trump

In a recent interview, US Olympian Kallie Humphries revealed her support for President Donald Trump, defended the US men’s ice hockey team, and spoke out against men competing in women’s sports.

Humphries, who won her sixth Olympic medal at this month’s Olympics in Italy, told Fox News that she is a Republican and voted for Donald Trump. She was asked about the US men’s ice hockey team, who have been ridiculed for their phone call with Trump in the wake of their gold medal victory. During the call, Trump joked that he would have to invite the US women’s hockey team, which also won gold, to the State of the Union address as well.

"I think all jokes around the world can be taken personally, not personally, I mean, that’s the point of jokes, right? So I think everybody will take it how they want to take it, and I think it’s, as a female, I’m going to be sensitive to female jokes within sport," said the Olympic bobsledder.

She said, "At the same point, as a high-performance athlete who believes in being the best in themselves" and as a female in a male-dominated sport, "I can understand when a joke is a joke. The mainstream sports media in the US has been very harsh on the men’s team since that moment and their decision to, you know, show up to the White House and then show up to the State of the Union. And in many ways, they’re almost diminishing the accomplishment."

"I think it’s sad that you are going to diminish an accomplishment, a great accomplishment, knowing they haven’t won in 46 years. Like, that’s insane."

She said she supported women having their own category to compete in, saying there’s "a big difference between men and women, especially when it comes to speed, power, strength-based sports. We have different chromosomes and different genetics, and I will never be a six-foot-five, 250-pound dude." She said that such differences mattered greatly in her sport, where gravity rules.

"Physically, I have no chance of ever competing against the guys and there’s not even a safety concern" in her sport, she said. "When I look at other aspects, like boxing, where there is a physical safety element, you know, we have to protect women’s sports. They need their own category."