President Donald Trump and other prominent Americans took aim at freestyle skier Hunter Hess on Sunday, days after the Team USA athlete said it was “a little hard” to represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics amid political tensions at home.
Hess, 27, an Oregon native competing in the Milano-Cortina Games, told reporters Friday that wearing the American flag didn’t mean he endorsed all U.S. policies and that the current climate had left him with “mixed emotions” about representing the country.
“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t,” he said. Hess added he was motivated by his “friends and family” and the aspects of the country he believes are good.
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Trump, reacting on his Truth Social platform Sunday, called Hess “a real Loser” and questioned why he would try out for the Olympic team if he felt that way. “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,” Trump wrote.
The backlash was not limited to the former president. Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that staged the famous “Miracle on Ice,” criticized Hess on social media in a now-deleted post, saying athletes who question their role should not wear the Team USA uniform.
Hess’ comments came amid widespread criticism of recent federal immigration actions. Another U.S. skier, Chris Lillis, expressed that he was “heartbroken” over events at home and emphasized respect for rights and humane treatment of all people, saying that is the America he hoped to represent.
“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,” Lillis said. “And I hope that when people look at athletes competing in the Olympics, they realize that that’s the America that we’re trying to represent.”
The controversy has stirred debate on social media and among Olympic fans, with some defending Hess’ right to personal views and others calling for stricter expectations of national representatives.
