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US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) slammed first-time Olympian Hunter Hess, calling him a loser over his recent mixed emotions remark while representing the US in the 2026 Winter Olympics. Hess, a 27-year-old, has called out the administration's policies on a global platform.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) criticised first-time Olympian Hunter Hess, days after Hess spoke against the Trump administration's political priorities.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "U.S. 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!"
Who is Hunter Hess?
Hess, a first-time Olympic Skier, hails from Bend, Oregon. Ahead of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Italy on 6 February, Hess said that he feels like he is representing aspects of his country "if it aligns with my moral values". He, however, made clear that he is "not the biggest fan of" everything that is happening in Washington, Politico reported.
Hess said, "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. … Just ‘cause I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S." He added that he is representing his family and friends more.
Republicans slam Hunter Hess
Reports suggest that Trump wasn't the only one criticising the 27-year-old athlete. In a post shared on X, Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds slammed Hess and wrote, "YOU chose to wear our flag. YOU chose to represent our country. YOU chose to compete at the @Olympics. If that’s too hard for you, then GO HOME. Some things are bigger than politics. You just don’t get it.”
Another Republican, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn), called on the first-time Olympian to "shut up and go play in the snow.”
Several athletes criticise the US's political climate
His remarks came as several freestyle skiers on Team USA have fielded questions related to the current political climate in the US. As US athletes compete for gold on the world stage, several are also using their visibility to speak out against certain White House policies beyond the competition arena.
Another freestyle skier and gold medalist, Chris Lilis, recently said he is "heartbroken" after the recent actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
Lilis said that a lot of times, athletes are hesitant to express their political views and how they feel about certain things, and added that he is heartbroken about what's happening in his country. Before mentioning that he loves the US and "would never want to represent a different country in the Olympics," Lilis said, "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."
Figure skater Amber Glenn, in her press conference, said that the LGBTQ+ community is having a "hard time" under the Trump administration, adding that they have taken several steps that the LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have criticised, including the shutting down of a crisis hotline specifically designated for the community. She said, "I know that a lot of people say, ‘You’re just an athlete. Like, stick to your job. Shut up about politics,’ but politics affect us all,” Glenn said. “It is something that I will not just be quiet about because it is something that affects us in our everyday lives.”
According to a Politico report, though the Olympics have often occurred in the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, the 2026 games have taken on an overtly political tone as Trump's policies threaten to hinder the longstanding partnership with Europe.
English (US) ·