WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Donald Trump criticized Team USA freestyle skier Hunter Hess on Sunday after Hess and some other American athletes shared their political thoughts about the United States earlier in the week.
“U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics,” Mr. Trump said in a social media post on Sunday. “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!”
During a Wednesday press conference, Hess said he had complicated feelings about representing the United States on the international stage.
“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,” Hess said.
“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.,” he continued. “So yeah, I just kind of want to do it like for my friends and my family and the people that supported me getting here.”
On Saturday, Kennedy Center head Rich Grennell and Trump administration envoy criticized Hess on social media, suggesting he “move to Canada if you aren’t proud to wear USA.”
U.S. National Champion figure skater Amber Glenn, who on Sunday will be the first out LGBTQ woman to skate at an Olympic Games, said on Saturday that she would be spending less time on social media after facing backlash for sharing her thoughts on issues facing the LGBTQ community.
“When I chose to utilize one of the amazing things about the United States of America (Freedom of speech) and convey how I feel as an athlete competing for Team USA in a troubling time for many Americans I am now receiving a scary amount of hate/threats for simply using my voice WHEN ASKED about how I feel,” Glenn wrote on her Instagram Stories on Saturday, February 7. “I did anticipate this but I am disappointed by it. I will be limiting my time on social media for my own wellbeing for now but I will never stop using my voice for what I believe in.”
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