Trump attacks U.S. Olympic skier Hunter Hess over remarks on representing America

President Donald Trump attacked U.S. Olympic skier Hunter Hess on Sunday, days after the athlete expressed ambivalent feelings about representing the country at the Winter Games in Milan-Cortina.

Hess, a 27-year-old freestyle skier from Oregon, said during a press conference in Milan on Friday that it was "a little difficult" to represent the United States and that he felt conflicted emotions about doing so. "There are a lot of things going on that I don't like very much," Hess said, adding that he believed many others shared his concerns. "The fact that I carry the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's happening in the United States," the skier added.

Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, calling Hess "a real loser" and saying the skier should not have tried to join the team. "If that's the case, he shouldn't have even tried to make the team, and it's a shame that he's on it," Trump wrote. "It's really hard to root for someone like that."

Hess's remarks came amid broader political tensions at the Milan-Cortina Games. The skier's comments reflected concerns circulating in the United States regarding federal immigration enforcement operations. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have faced widespread protests after shooting and killing two people in Minneapolis in January.