Washington Capitals and Team USA star T.J. Oshie found himself defending a social media post regarding President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. Oshie had posted a graphic with Trump’s message, which read “America Is Back” in all capital letters, followed by a message from Trump. The graphic also included Oshie’s caption, “God Bless America,” with a USA flag emoji.
However, the commenters underneath Oshie’s post were not friendly, leading him to defend the post and his love of country. Oshie wrote, “To be clear I love America and Americans on both sides of the aisle and always will. Yeah even you in the negative comments you little stinkers. I choose to respect everyone until you prove me otherwise.”
Some commenters expressed concern for Oshie’s daughters as Trump takes over as president, to which Oshie responded, “To the people worried about my daughters thank you for your concern. All four of my kids will grow up with Parents who support them, tell them they love them every day, teach them to be strong and above all to be good and kind people.”
Additionally, some commenters threatened to toss Oshie’s jerseys in the trash, to which Oshie responded, “P.S. For those throwing out jerseys… maybe just scrape off the name and number. Remember the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back. Love you guys today and always! God Bless America.”
Oshie, a Stanley Cup winner with the Capitals in 2018, has played his past nine seasons in the NHL in the nation’s capital, where he serves as an alternate captain this year. He was also a Team USA legend, with historic moments like his four-goal shootout against Russia during the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.
