Donald Trump responded to Hunter Hess on Truth Social on Sunday, calling the Olympian a “real loser” and criticizing comments the US freestyle skier made in a press conference days earlier.
Hess was asked in a press conference on Wednesday what it was like to represent the US in the Olympics given the current situation in the country, which has included ICE raids in Minnesota and a number of geopolitical crises. Hess said representing the US at the 2026 Winter Olympics brought up “mixed emotions” and that it was “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,” he said. “I think for me it’s more 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 … Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US.”
Trump made his ire clear on Sunday, characterizing Hess’s comments as saying: “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!”
Trump’s critique follows that of Tennessee Republican representative Tim Burchett, who said in a post on X that Hess should “shut up and go play in the snow.”
Hess is one of a handful of Team USA Olympians who have expressed discomfort with representing their country in its current state, and who have then been the recipient of criticism afterward.
US figure skating national champion Amber Glenn said she’d be taking a break from all social media after being inundated with what she called “a scary amount of hate/threats.”
Glenn, who came out publicly in 2019, was asked how it feels to be part of the LGBTQ community under the Trump administration.
“It’s been a hard time for the community overall and this administration,” Glenn said. “It isn’t the first time that we’ve had to come together as a community and try and fight for our human rights.”
While not specifically mentioning Trump’s policies, two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin read a quote from Nelson Mandela expressing hope that “we can all flourish regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference” when asked about representing the US in the current political climate. She then added her own words: “For me, as this related to the Olympics, I really hope to show up and represent my own values. Of diversity, and kindness, and sharing. Tenacity, work ethic, showing up with my team every single day.”
The US Olympic & Paralympic Committee said on Sunday that it is aware of abusive and harmful messages directed toward athletes and is doing its best to work alongside law enforcement to protect them.
“The USOPC stands firmly behind Team USA athletes and remains committed to their well-being and safety, both on and off the field of play,” it said.