President Donald Trump has criticized a Team USA athlete participating in the Winter Olympics after the competitor expressed ‘mixed emotions’ about representing the nation at the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 games.
The Winter Olympics began with an opening ceremony on Friday, February 6, setting the stage for a significant weekend for the US team.
During the events, Vice President JD Vance faced boos at the San Siro, and Lindsey Vonn experienced a severe crash in the alpine ski competition on Sunday, February 8.
The situation escalated with a conflict between Trump and Hunter Hess, a Team USA freeskier. At a press conference for the freeski team, Hess shared his thoughts on representing the US amidst current tensions, stating he’s not entirely supportive of everything happening.
The 27-year-old athlete remarked, “It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now. It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of and I think a lot of people aren’t.”
Discussing efforts to promote unity in the US, the Olympian continued, “I’m representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the US I just think if it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it.”
President Trump responded on his Truth Social account, criticizing the athlete and stating it’s challenging to support him.
Trump posted, “US Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics. If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it. Very hard to root for someone like this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Hess was not alone in expressing his views on US tensions; other Team USA athletes, including the women’s halfpipe team, conveyed their thoughts.
Bea Kim echoed Hess’s sentiment, saying, “I think there are a lot of different opinions in the U.S. right now. Obviously, we’re very divided.”
“I personally am very proud to represent the United States. That being said, I think diversity is what makes us a very strong country and what makes us so special.”
Chloe Kim, whose parents immigrated from South Korea, also shared her thoughts: “I’m really proud to represent the United States. It’s given my family and I so much opportunity.”
She added, “But I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions of what’s going on. And I think that we should lead with love and compassion. And I’d love to see more of that.”
Chris Lillis, another freeski teammate of Hess, expressed his ‘heartbreak’ over the situation in the US, stating, “I think that as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens, as well as anybody, with love and respect.”
He concluded, “I hope that when people look at athletes competing in the Olympics, they realize that’s the America that we’re trying to represent.”