Washington Capitals and Team USA star TJ Oshie had to go back to social media to defend a post about President Donald Trump during his inauguration on Monday.
Oshie had posted a simple graphic of Trump that read “America Is Back” in large letters followed by a message. Oshie captioned the post “God Bless America” with a USA flag emoji.
“Every single day I will fight for you with every breath in my body,” Trump’s message on the graphic read. “I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, secure and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be America’s Golden Age.”
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Washington Capitals forward TJ Oshie skates against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. (Bob Frid-USA Today Sports)
Well, the commenters under Oshie’s post weren’t too kind, prompting him to defend the post and his love for the country.
“It escalated quickly!” Oshie wrote on X. “To be clear, I love America and Americans on both sides of the aisle and always will. Yes even you in the negative comments you little stinkers. I choose to respect everyone until you prove me wrong. If you guys make me feel better about tweeting over the internet, it’s cool, even though I don’t see the glory in it and it seems silly.
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Some of the commenters said they were worried about Oshie’s daughters as Trump takes over as president, and Oshie had time to bark back.
“To the people who are concerned about my daughters, thank you for your concern,” Oshie added. “All four of my children 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.”
Washington Capitals forward TJ Oshie handles the puck during warmups prior to a game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. (Bob Frid-USA Today Sports)
And then there were the commentators who said they were going to trash Oshie’s jerseys.
“PS To those throwing away jerseys… maybe just scratch off the name and number. Remember the name on the front is much more important than the one on the back. Love you today and always! God bless America.”
Oshie, a Stanley Cup winner with the Capitals in 2018, has played his last nine seasons in the NHL in the nation’s capital, serving as an alternate this year.
He was the 24th overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft to the St. Louis Blues, where he spent his first seven seasons.
Washington Capitals forward TJ Oshie during a stoppage in play against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. (Bob Frid-USA Today Sports)
The 38-year-old was also a Team USA legend, having historic moments like his four-goal haul against Russia during the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi. The U.S. finished fourth in the Olympics, but Oshie spent years representing the Stars and Stripes with three men’s national teams in 2009, 2010 and 2013, as well as the 2006 national junior team.
