American freestyle skier Hunter Hess, 27, from Oregon, who has been on the U.S. Winter Olympics team since 2017, expressed “mixed emotions” about representing the U.S. at the 2026 Winter Olympics, calling it “a little hard” to wear Team USA gear amid things he’s “not the biggest fan of.” He emphasized competing for friends and family, clarifying the flag doesn’t mean endorsing Trump’s policies.
This drew backlash, notably from 1980 “Miracle on Ice” captain Mike Eruzione, who criticized Hess on X for not understanding national representation and suggested he shouldn’t wear the uniform if he only represents personal friends. Florida candidate Byron Donalds also pushed back.
For context, as we reported at the American Tribune, Hess began his out-of-touch remarks by saying, “It brings up mixed emotions to represent the US 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.”
“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 US. So, yeah, I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here,” the entitled athlete stated.
Angrily reacting on social media, 1980 Olympic Gold medalist Mike Eruzione, captain of the famed U.S. “Miracle on Ice” men’s hockey team, quipped, “What you ski with that flag on your arm and run your mouth on the world stage?? Some of us wore that flag on our arm and buried our friends under it. STFU AND GO PLAY IN THE SNOW.”
Byron Donalds, a rising star in the conservative movement, noted, “YOU chose to wear our flag. YOU chose to represent our country. YOU chose to compete at the @Olympics. If that’s too hard for you, then GO HOME. Some things are bigger than politics. You just don’t get it.”
Fighting back in a post to Truth Social, President Trump declared, “U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics. 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. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
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Notable left-wing politician Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reacted, “Trump called American Olympian Hunter Hess a ‘real loser’ for criticizing what’s happening in our country under Trump. Mr. President, this is not a monarchy. This is the United States and no one is required to bow down to you. Hess is not a loser. He’s a proud American.”
“He doesn’t represent the united states ban him from competition…These people are insufferable. Just do the skiing. Just do the f*cking skiing 😒” an enraged conservative noted, expressing common objections to Hess’s entitled screed.
Reacting to a partial apology, one woman responded, “🙄Too little, too late, Hunter Hess. You whined about ‘mixed emotions’ and threw shade on America while wearing the flag. Now you’re suddenly ‘proud’ and ‘love the USA’? You don’t get to trash the country that made you, then flip when you get called out.”