President Donald Trump responded publicly after two U.S. Olympic athletes made comments critical of immigration enforcement and expressed discomfort representing the United States during the Winter Games, as reported [1] by The Gateway Pundit.
The remarks came from 27-year-old freestyle halfpipe competitor Hunter Hess and aerials skier Chris Lillis, a gold medalist from the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Both athletes spoke to reporters during a press conference held on Friday shortly after the Games’ opening ceremony.
Hess told reporters that representing the United States currently comes with what he described as emotional difficulty, citing immigration enforcement actions carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S. I just kind of want to do it for my friends and family, the people who supported me getting here,” Hess said.
He also stated that wearing the American flag “brings up mixed emotions” and is “a little hard” right now because of ICE enforcement actions. Hess added that he is not the “biggest fan” of much that is happening in the United States.
Lillis echoed similar concerns during the same press conference.
The 27-year-old skier said he feels “heartbroken” over ICE raids and protests and added that the country should “focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect.”
Team USA skier: Just because I wear the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US. pic.twitter.com/1ZDvKB4A8a [2]
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) February 6, 2026 [3]
The comments quickly circulated online and prompted a response from Donald Trump, who addressed the matter on Truth Social.
Trump directed his remarks primarily at Hess, criticizing the athlete’s statements about representing the country.
“U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics,” Trump 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.”
Trump added that Hess “should have never tried out for the team” and said it was “very hard to root for someone like this.” He concluded his post with the phrase, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The exchange has drawn attention to the intersection of politics and international competition, particularly as American athletes compete under the U.S. flag on a global stage.
The athletes’ comments were made in the context of ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations, which have been a focal point of national political debate.
Neither Hess nor Lillis issued follow-up statements in response to the president’s comments as of the time of publication.
Olympic officials also did not comment on the remarks, and no disciplinary actions related to the statements were announced.
The situation highlights growing tensions surrounding political expression by athletes during international sporting events, especially when comments are made during official media appearances tied directly to Olympic competition.