Trump Blasts Olympic Skier Hunter Hess

President Trump lambasted Olympic skier Hunter Hess today, days after the athlete expressed mixed feelings about representing the U.S. at the Milano Cortino Winter Olympics in Italy. Here's more. During a press event for the 2026 Games, Hess's comments raised eyebrows. It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. 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. I think for me it's more I'm representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. Hess is competing in the men's free ski halfpipe. According to the U.S. team's ski and snowboarding website, Hess is from Oregon, and he learned to ski right in his hometown. He's been on the Olympic team for 10 years. He shared more about his feelings of being on the U.S. team. Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S. So yeah, I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here. President Trump responded on Truth Social in a post saying Hess shouldn't have tried out for the team if he doesn't feel he represents his country and that it's hard to root for him. Congressman Byron Donalds posted to X with a video clip from Hess's interview. Donalds wrote that some things are bigger than politics and that Hess should go home if it's too hard to represent the U.S. in Italy. Decorated former college swimmer Riley Gaines seemed to also respond to Hess. She posted a video of female wrestler Tamara Minta Stock at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. In the video, she is elated to hold the American flag and is gushing with love for the U.S. Hunter Hess's accomplishments include garnering two bronze medals at the X Games and finishing on the podium four times for the Freestyle Ski World Cup.