Our Olympians Are Being Put in an Impossible Position
American athletes have been asked to account for Trump—then attacked for doing so.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) pushes the myth that the Olympics are meant to be a safe, apolitical space. Tell that to the American athletes at this year’s Winter Olympics who are being asked tough questions about the political and social turmoil in their home country.
Since the Games began earlier this month in Italy, journalists have asked a number of athletes how they feel about representing America, putting them in the tricky position of balancing national pride against their unhappiness with the actions of the current administration.
In response to a question about what it’s like to wear the American flag right now, Hunter Hess, a freestyle skier, said, “There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t.” He added that he didn’t see himself as representing “everything that’s going on” in America—only “all the things that I believe are good about the U.S.”
President Trump lashed out at Hess on Truth Social, calling him “a real Loser” and saying that “he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team” if he felt that way about the country. Other conservatives piled on, including Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee, who wrote that Hess should “shut up and go play in the snow.” Vice President Vance—who had just been booed by crowds while attending the opening ceremony in Milan—said that athletes “should expect some pushback” for speaking out: “You’re not there to pop off about politics.”
