U.S. freestyle skier Hunter Hess and teammate Chris Lillis said they felt conflicted representing the United States at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics amid debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement. President Donald Trump responded on Truth Social, calling Hess “a real Loser” and saying it was “very hard to root” for him.
American athletes at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics have drawn attention for speaking publicly about domestic politics, prompting both support and backlash online.
At a press conference, U.S. freestyle skier Hunter Hess said representing the United States “brings up mixed emotions,” adding that he thinks about “friends and family back home” and “the things that I believe are good about the U.S.” Hess said he feels he is representing the country when it “aligns with my moral values,” and added that wearing the flag “doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
President Donald Trump responded on Truth Social on Sunday, calling Hess “a real Loser.” Trump wrote that if Hess “doesn’t represent his Country” at the Olympics, “he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team,” adding, “Very hard to root for someone like this,” and ending the post with “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Hess’s teammate, freestyle skier Chris Lillis, also described anguish over events in the United States and said he believed reporters were referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and related protests. Lillis said he felt “heartbroken,” and argued the country should focus on “respecting everybody’s rights” and treating “our citizens, as well as anybody, with love and respect,” adding that this is the kind of America the team is trying to represent.
Other athletes and former U.S. Olympian Gus Kenworthy, who now competes for Great Britain, have also used social media to criticize ICE. Kenworthy posted an image appearing to show an obscenity directed at ICE written in snow, and included guidance encouraging followers to contact lawmakers during negotiations over Department of Homeland Security funding.
Figure skater Amber Glenn also spoke about politics and rights issues affecting LGBTQ people, saying that politics “affect us all,” and that she did not plan to stay quiet. She later said she received threats online after her comments.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not immediately respond to some media requests for comment, but its publicly posted guidance states it supports athletes’ freedom of expression in interviews and press conferences, within certain limits.
