Olympian Hunter Hess responds to backlash from Trump
Olympic skier Hunter Hess has responded after President Donald Trump lashed out over comments Hess made about representing Team USA. Meanwhile, other Olympians are backing Hess up.
On Sunday, Trump called Hess a “real loser” on Truth Social after Hess said he had “mixed feelings” about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics.
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Olympian Hunter Hess started skiing at age 3 on Mt. Bachelor in his home state of Oregon.
“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think,” Hess told reporters on Friday when asked about how it felt to be part of Team USA. “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.”
He added, “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Trump responded to those comments writing, “If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the team, and it’s too bad he’s on it.”
On Monday, Hess responded on social media, saying he loves his country and can’t wait to represent Team USA when he competes.
“There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better,” Hess wrote in the post. “One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out.”
Other Olympians speak out
Hess isn’t the only American Olympian speaking publicly about the moment.
During that same interview, fellow skier Chris Lillis also responded to questions about the political climate in the U.S.
“I love the USA, and I think I would never want to represent a different country in the Olympics,” Lillis said. “With that being said, you know, a lot of times, athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things. I feel heartbroken about what’s happened in the United States.”
Lillis added, “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.”
Snowboarders Bea Kim and Maddie Mastro also said they’re proud to wear the flag, while acknowledging the country feels deeply divided.
And two-time gold medalist Chloe Kim also addressed the issue.
“My parents being immigrants, this one definitely hits pretty close to home,” Kim said during an interview Monday. “I think in moments like these, it is really important for us to unite and kind of stand up for one another, for all that’s going on. And I think that I’m really proud to represent the United States. The U.S. has given my family and I so much opportunity. But I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions on what’s going on.”
Another two-time gold medalist, Eileen Gu — who was born in the United States but competes for China — also weighed in.
“I’m sorry that the headline that is eclipsing the Olympics has to be something so … unrelated to the spirit of the Games,” Gu said. “It really runs contrary to everything the Olympics should be.”
Not the only controversy
American figure skater Amber Glenn faces intense backlash of her own. Glenn, who identifies as pansexual, is the first openly queer woman to represent the U.S. in Olympic figure skating.
In an interview on Friday, Glenn said the LGBTQIA+ community is going through a “hard time” under the current political climate in the U.S. She said that comment has since triggered what she calls a “scary amount” of hate and threats, which has lowered her excitement for the games.
“I was disappointed because I’ve never had so many people wish me harm before, just for being me and speaking about being decent — human rights and decency,” Glenn said Sunday night during the team medal ceremony after winning gold.
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