Trump Escalates Attacks on U.S. Olympian Hunter Hess as Athletes’ Anti‑ICE, LGBTQ+ Comments Spur Online Backlash
At the Milan–Cortina Games several U.S. and international athletes — including freestyle skier Hunter Hess, Team GB’s Gus Kenworthy, Amber Glenn and Chris Lillis — have publicly criticized ICE and Trump‑era policies, tied their protests to recent Minneapolis killings and LGBTQ+ rights, and even prompted Team USA to rebrand its “Ice House” hospitality space. Their comments have prompted a fierce online backlash, including President Trump calling Hess “a real Loser” and other conservative figures piling on, with athletes reporting threats and the USOPC saying it is removing abusive content, reporting credible threats to law enforcement and supporting athletes’ safety.
📌 Key Facts
- Several U.S. Olympians spoke publicly about domestic politics at the Milan–Cortina Games: freestyle skiers Hunter Hess and Chris Lillis and figure skater Amber Glenn said they have 'mixed emotions' or feel 'heartbroken' about U.S. policy and enforcement, and they tied their comments to ICE actions and recent events at home.
- Hunter Hess told reporters his wearing the U.S. flag does not mean he endorses 'everything that’s going on in the U.S.'; President Trump then attacked Hess on social media, calling him 'a real Loser,' saying it's 'hard to root for someone like this' and that he 'shouldn’t have tried out for the Team.'
- Other conservative figures amplified the backlash online: Richard Grenell told Hess to 'move to Canada if you aren't proud to wear USA,' Rep. Tim Burchett wrote he should 'shut up and go play in the snow,' and commentators including Jake Paul, Brett Favre, Rob Schneider and Rep. Byron Donalds also criticized the athletes — Paul was photographed sitting beside Vice President J.D. Vance at a U.S. women’s hockey game.
- Team GB skier Gus Kenworthy posted an Instagram photo appearing to show 'f--k ICE' written in snow with urine and urged followers to call their senators using a sample script that linked the protest to Homeland Security (DHS) funding negotiations; Team USA also formally rebranded its Milan hospitality space from 'Ice House' to 'Winter House' to distance itself from the word 'ICE.'
- Axios and other outlets tied multiple athletes' protests and statements to the Minneapolis killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, quoting U.S. athletes (including Diggins, Pannek, Gaskill and Bea Kim) who connected their comments to those incidents.
- Amber Glenn said she would not 'shut up about politics,' described the LGBTQ+ community's experience under the Trump administration as a 'hard time,' and reported receiving 'a scary amount of hate/threats' online, prompting her to limit social media for her own wellbeing.
- The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee acknowledged a rise in abusive and harmful messages toward Team USA athletes, said it is working to remove content and report credible threats to law enforcement, and affirmed it stands behind athletes' safety and well‑being.
- Coverage frames athletes' remarks as part of a broader trend at the Games: competitors are using their Olympic platforms to protest ICE, press lawmakers on DHS appropriations, and speak out on LGBTQ+ rights in response to perceived rollbacks by the Trump administration.
📰 Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 08, 2026
8:21 PM
US Olympians speaking up about politics at home face online backlash — including from Trump
New information:
- Trump’s quote describing Hess as “a real Loser” and saying it is hard to cheer for U.S. Olympians who criticize his policies, with the added line that Hess 'shouldn’t have tried out for the Team.'
- Specific details of freestyle skier Hunter Hess’s comments about having 'mixed emotions' representing the U.S. given Trump’s immigration crackdown, and his remark that wearing the flag does not mean he represents 'everything that’s going on in the U.S.'
- New on‑the‑record criticism from U.S. Olympians Chris Lillis (explicitly referencing ICE and calling for treating 'our citizens as well as anybody, with love and respect') and figure skater Amber Glenn (saying the LGBTQ+ community has had a hard time under Trump).
- Identification of prominent conservative voices piling on the athletes online, including Jake Paul, Brett Favre, Rob Schneider and Rep. Byron Donalds — along with the detail that Paul was then photographed sitting beside Vice President JD Vance at a U.S. women’s hockey game.
- A U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee statement acknowledging a rise in abusive and harmful messages toward Team USA athletes, saying the USOPC is working to remove content, report credible threats to law enforcement, and stands behind the athletes’ safety and well‑being.
5:34 PM
Trump lashes out at Team USA athlete for sharing thoughts on politics
New information:
- President Trump posted on social media Sunday calling U.S. freestyle skier Hunter Hess 'a real Loser' and saying it is 'hard to root for someone like this' after Hess’ critical comments about representing the U.S.
- The article quotes in detail Hess’ Wednesday press‑conference remarks explaining he has 'mixed emotions' about representing the U.S. and sees himself as representing friends, family and the 'good' parts of the country, not everything the government is doing.
- Trump envoy and Kennedy Center head Richard Grenell told Hess on social media to 'move to Canada if you aren't proud to wear USA,' while Rep. Tim Burchett said he should 'shut up and go play in the snow.'
- The piece adds new, specific backlash against U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn, who reported receiving 'a scary amount of hate/threats' online for speaking about LGBTQ rights under the current administration and said she will limit social media use for her own wellbeing.
February 07, 2026
1:05 PM
Some Team USA athletes speak out about politics at home
New information:
- Team USA freestyle skier Chris Lillis said he feels "heartbroken" about what has happened in the U.S. and referenced ICE’s actions in Minneapolis, calling for respecting everyone’s rights and treating citizens and others with love and respect.
- Team USA freestyle skier Hunter Hess said representing the U.S. brings "mixed emotions" because of domestic politics and stressed that wearing the flag does not mean endorsing everything the U.S. government is doing.
- U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn told reporters that it has been a "hard time" for the LGBTQ community under the Trump administration, vowed not to "shut up about politics," and said she hopes to use her Olympic platform to encourage people to "stay strong in these hard times."
- The article situates Gus Kenworthy’s earlier anti‑ICE snow message and call script inside a broader pattern of Olympic athletes speaking out about ICE and the Minneapolis shootings rather than as an isolated stunt.
February 06, 2026
10:00 PM
Olympic athletes are already protesting against Trump and ICE
New information:
- Team GB skier Gus Kenworthy posted an Instagram photo appearing to show 'f--k ICE' written in snow with urine just before the Milan–Cortina opening ceremony.
- Kenworthy urged followers to call their senators and provided a sample script to pressure them during Homeland Security funding negotiations, explicitly linking his protest to DHS appropriations.
- The article confirms Team USA formally rebranded its Milan hospitality space from 'Ice House' to 'Winter House' to distance itself from the word 'ICE' amid backlash to Trump administration enforcement.
- Amber Glenn explicitly connects her decision not to 'be quiet' about LGBTQ+ rights to Trump’s rollback of protections, framing her Olympic presence as part of a rights struggle.
- The piece consolidates and directly quotes multiple U.S. athletes’ statements — Diggins, Pannek, Gaskill, Bea Kim — tying them to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
February 03, 2026