Photo: Hunter Hess // Instagram
Freestyle skier Hunter Hess has come under fire from conservatives, including President Donald Trump himself, after being asked to comment on United States politics. In response, many of his fellow athletes have banded together to defend him.
As the Associated Press reports, the back and forth began during a press conference Friday, when reporters asked United States athletes how they felt about representing the country amid the Trump administrations’s crackdowns on immigrants. “If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it,” responded Hess. “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Hess was not the only athlete to push back against the actions of their homeland’s government. “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,” said freestyle skier Chris Lillis. “I hope that when people look at athletes competing in the Olympics, they realize that that’s the America that we’re trying to represent.”
“It’s been a hard time for [the LGBTQ+] community overall, under this administration,” added figure skater Amber Glenn. “It isn’t the first time that we’ve had to come together as a community and try and fight for our human rights. Now, especially, it’s not just affecting the queer community, but many other communities, and I think that we are able to support each other in a way that we didn’t have to before.”
President Trump promptly took to his own social media platform Truth Social to fire back. “U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics,” he wrote. “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.”
On Monday, a number of American athletes backed Hess, including snowboarder Chloe Kim and freestyle skier Eileen Gu, as ESPN reports. “I’m really proud to represent the United States,” said Kim. “The U.S. has given my family and I so much opportunity, but I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions of what’s going [on], that we need to lead with love and compassion.”
Gu, an American who is currently competing for China at the Games, added, “As someone who’s been caught in the crossfire before, I feel sorry for the athletes.” She also expressed displeasure at the prospect that the controversy could overshadow their athletic achievements.
“I think there are a lot of different opinions in the U.S. right now. Obviously, we’re very divided,” said snowboarder Bea Kim. “I personally am very proud to represent the United States. That being said, I think diversity is what makes us a very strong country and what makes that so special.”
Hess took to Instagram to thank his supporters and reaffirm his dedication to his homeland. “I love my country,” he wrote. “There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better. One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out. The best part of the Olympics is that it brings people together, and when so many of us are divided we need that more than ever. I cannot wait to represent Team USA next week when I compete. Thanks to everyone for their support.”
