What to Know
Some of the U.S athletes who have been criticized by MAGA supporters (or even President Donald Trump himself) have said that one thing they love about the United States is that they have the freedom to express their opinions. And yet, when skier Hunter Hess said representing the U.S. in the Olympics doesn’t mean he condones “everything that’s going on in the U.S.” right now, Trump called him “a real Loser.”
Hess is not the only Olympian who has faced backlash for speaking out against the Trump administration. While some athletes might shy away from making political statements, others feel it’s important to use their platforms to bring attention to the issues they care about. And should Team USA athletes really be expected to stay silent about what’s happening at home?
Amid the backlash, some Olympians are defending their right to speak about politics.
After being criticized by Trump, Hess made it clear that he loves the U.S., but that doesn’t mean he loves absolutely everything about it. Originally, Hess said, “I think it brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now. 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, like, friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. I just think, if it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
These are the comments that inspired Trump’s Truth Social rant, in which he claimed that Hess “says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics.” Trump added, “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.”
Addressing the backlash in an Instagram post, Hess reminded people that you can love your country and still acknowledge that problems exist there. “There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better,” he wrote in part. “One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out.”
Figure skater Amber Glenn has also faced backlash.
The threats she received from MAGA supporters prompted her to step away from social media. The amount of hate she received for her comments was disappointing to her, especially because her “controversial” message was largely about supporting people. Also, she commented on LGBTQ+ rights under the Trump administration because she was literally asked to do so. “It’s been a hard time for the community overall under this administration,” Glenn said.
She added, “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, and because of that, it’s made us a lot stronger…I hope I can use my platform and my voice…to try and encourage people to stay strong in these hard times.”
But apparently, people were mad about these comments too, and Glenn received “a scary amount of hate/threats” in response. When she addressed the backlash, Glenn said she simply “chose to utilize one of the amazing things about the United States of America (Freedom of speech) to convey how I feel as an athlete competing for Team USA in a troubling time for many Americans.”
Other Olympians have weighed in.
Gus Kenworthy, who is representing United Kingdom in the 2026 Winter Games but has dual U.K. and U.S. citizenship, faced criticism over his anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) post on social media. Kenworthy reminded people that they can love the U.S. while also not supporting the Trump administration. He made it clear that he doesn’t support the current administration or ICE, which he described as “absolutely evil and awful and terrifying.”
He said, “I just want to remind everyone that you can love the U.S. and be proud to be an American – I am – and still think it can be better, and still think that the country can improve.”
More recently, a journalist asked American snowboarders about Trump lashing out at Hess. Chloe Kim made it clear that she’s “really proud to represent the United States,” but also said athletes should be able to be honest about how they feel. She said, “I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions on what’s going on. And I think that we need to lead with love and compassion. And I would love to see some more of that.”
