President Trump ripped Hunter Hess on Sunday after the U.S. skier spoke out against the political climate in his home country at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan earlier this week.
“U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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, speaking at a Friday press conference, said it’s “hard” to represent the U.S. at the Winter Games.
“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now. I think it’s a little hard,” he said. “There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t.”
“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.,” Hess later added.
Although the freestyle skiing team member and Oregon native did not directly mention current federal immigration actions in the U.S., his teammate Chris Lillis spoke out against recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and subsequent unrest across the country.
“I feel heartbroken about what’s happened in the United States, when you know, I’m pretty sure you’re referencing ICE and some of the protests and things like that,” Lillis said in response to a reporter’s question at the presser alongside Hess.
“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 continued. “And I hope that when people look at athletes compete in the Olympics, they realize that that’s the America we’re trying to represent.”
Hess echoed this sentiment, stating he’s seeking to represent his friends and family as he competes on the world stage for the U.S.
“I think for me, it’s more I’m representing my like friends and family back home, the people that represent it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S.,” Hess said.
The Hill reached out to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team for comment.
Uproar over the president’s immigration crackdown emerged last month after two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. This fury has extended to Milan, where protesters have demonstrated against ICE’s presence at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
U.S. immigration officials were granted a security role at the global sporting event.
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