USA Women's Hockey's Ellen Hughes, Jack and Quinn's Mom, Addresses Trump Controversy

Ellen Hughes -- Team USA women's hockey player development consultant and Jack and Quinn's mom -- is giving her take on President Trump's locker room joke following Sunday's gold medal game ... saying what really matters to both squads is "unity."

Hughes -- a former member of the women's national hockey team herself -- was asked about POTUS' controversial comments to the men's team on Tuesday's episode of "Today" ... and while there are plenty of social media users pissed about the phone call, Hughes thinks the recent success of both organizations can bring folks together.

"At the end of the day, it's just about the country," Hughes said, "and the moment that these players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country."

“People that cheered on that don’t watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side, and that’s all both the men’s team and the women’s team care about."

Hughes praised the "camaraderie" and "synergy" the men and women displayed throughout the 2026 Olympics ... which she says is "what it's all about."

"And the other things they cannot control. They care about humanity. They care about unity and they care about the country."

Of course, many felt the women's team declining an invite to the White House was a response to Trump's joke ... but Team USA said it was a scheduling issue that was preventing them from making it to 1600 Penn.