Former top Harris advisor ignites backlash over ‘political props’ comment targeting USA men’s hockey team

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Symone Sanders, who formerly served as a top advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris and the 2020 Biden campaign, complained during President Donald Trump’sState of the Union addressTuesday night that the Olympic gold-winning U.S.men’s hockey team “allowed themselves to be used as political props.”

“They should not be used as political props though, and, frankly, allowed themselves to be used as political props,” Sanders, who is co-hosting a weeknight show on MS NOW, said after the president introduced the team during his address.He later gave the nation’s highest civilian honor to the team’s goalie.

“I think that is going to be the question and the discussion going forward,” she continued.“It is very clear why the president did this.What is unclear, to me, is why the men’s hockey team allowed themselves to be utilized in this particular fashion.”

Members of the U.S.men’s hockey team wave to the audience as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress at the U.S.Capitol Feb.24, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Sanders went on to claim that “no one is against USA and our Olympic athletes.”

Critics on X slammed the MS NOW host as a “political prop” herself in response to her criticism.Others pointed out that the hockey team’s appearance was one of the only times Democrats stood throughout Trump’s speech.

“Miserable people.Just miserable,” a prominent conservative video producer wrote on X.

“Shut the puck up!” conservative media personality Bo Snerdley posted on X.

“Because Democrats never use people as political props,” Tim Graham, the NewsBusters executive editor, sarcastically wrote on X.

TEAM USA GOALIE JAKE OETTINGER REACTS TO TRUMP’S LOCKER ROOM COMMENTS ABOUT THE WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM

Polling data showed that the president’s introduction of the gold medal-winning USA men’s Olympic hockey team during theState of the Union addresson Tuesday night was met with largely positive bipartisan reactions among voters.

Lee Carter of the polling group Maslansky + Partners, said independent voters especially loved the moment when the players entered the House Chamber wearing theirgold medalsand USA sweatshirts and were met with thunderous “U-S-A” chants.

Trump hadinvited the team to the State of the Union address Sunday night as it celebrated a 2-1 win over Canada in the finals of the Winter Olympics.While honoring the team during his address, President Trump added he would honor goaltenderConnor Hellebuyckwith the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Symone Sanders Townsend, co-host of MSNBC’s “The Weeknight,” and former chief spokesperson for Vice President Harris appears on “Meet the Press” in Washington, D.C., May 4, 2025.(Shannon Finney/NBC via Getty Images)

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According to the polling group, visual dials showed independent voter reaction had the largest spike during the moment.Dials showed reaction from Republican voters, who were already energized by the speech, also increased, while reaction from Democrat voters, who were overall the least enthused during Trump’s speech, also saw a slight bump.

The polling group said 29 Democrat voters, 41 Republican voters and 30 Independent voters were involved in the voter dials.

�s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report