US Edition
Trump Criticizes Olympic Skier Hunter Hess Over 'Mixed Emotions' on Representing US
Hunter Hess expressed mixed emotions on representing the U.S. due to political issues, sparking criticism from Trump and others amid ongoing debates about athletes' political expressions.
- On Sunday, President Donald Trump attacked U.S. freestyle skier Hunter Hess on Truth Social, saying it was very hard to root for him after Hess said Friday, `If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I'm representing it`.
- Reporters on Friday asked U.S. athletes about representing the country, with freestyle skier Chris Lillis saying, `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`.
- Conservative figures and online users piled on Hess, with Jake Paul, Brett Favre, Rob Schneider and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds criticizing him, while Trump’s post sparked immediate reaction on Threads.
- The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee said it is monitoring abusive messages, removing content, and reporting credible threats to law enforcement, standing behind Team USA athletes.
- Historically, athlete statements have turned Olympic moments into political flashpoints, echoing the 1968 Mexico City medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos, and the booing of Vice President JD Vance last week at San Siro Stadium.
242 Articles
242 Articles
U.S. Olympian says he’s 'not the biggest fan' of current political chaos — Trump, proving him right, then calls the Team USA athlete 'a real loser'
Before athletes take to their craft, they are usually obliged to sit through press conferences, and the best of them give honest answers. When Team USA skier Hunter Hess was asked how it feels to represent the U.S. with “things going back home,” he thought honesty was the best solution, saying he has mixed emotions. Before you knew it, Donald Trump was calling him a “real loser” on Truth Social. Trump wrote, “U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a r…
As Patriotic Olympians Step Up To Defend Free Speech, Trump's Attack Backfires
With his petty attack on US Olympic freeskier Hunter Hess – and by implication all the American athletes who dissent from the authoritarian regime – Donald Trump opened up a dispute that he and his minions will inevitably lose. Not only is Trump on the wrong side of the nation’s values of free expression and individual rights, but he has exposed the rejection of his politics by the most talented members of a new generation.Hess violated the dict…
Rick Scott Tells U.S. Olympians to Shut Up About Trump or Lose Their Uniforms
In a now-viral video posted to X, Scott erupted at American athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics after several of them openly admitted they’re conflicted about representing a country they say is spiraling under Donald Trump’s leadership. His blunt message: if you don’t want to “represent” the U.S. uncritically, then you should be stripped of your Olympic uniform and tossed out. “Representing the United States—a beacon for freedom and democracy—a…
Donald Trump has met his match in the USA's Winter Olympians
Despite the Maga megaphone operating at max volume, the quiet dignity of America’s Winter Olympians is shutting down President Donald Trump. “Loser” was the best Trump could manage in response to the powerful message broadcast by American freestyle skier Hunter Hess, who articulated his unease at the community divisions stoked by the Trump administration, including the treatment of citizens by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers a…
Olympic Skier Hunter Hess Responds to Trump Slamming Him for Having ‘Mixed Feelings’ About Representing the U.S.: ‘There Are Always Things That Could Be Better’ About America
U.S. Olympic skier Hunter Hess has responded to Donald Trump blasting him: 'There is so much that is great about America,' but also room to improve.
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