American skier Hunter Hess decided that a press conference ahead of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics was the perfect time toair his grievances with the United States of America. It didn't go well, and Hess has now basically backtracked from his initial commentary.
"I love my country 🇺🇸," Hess posted Monday on Instagram. "There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better. One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out… I cannot wait to represent Team USA next week when I compete."
That's a nice sentiment, although it was probably written by someone with the title of "Public Relations Specialist." That's where we are in 2026; an athlete says something dumb, receives pushback, and then someone on their PR team constructs a pseudo apology. See,Simone Biles.
These backtracks wouldn't be necessary if athletes stopped trying to make political statements or talk about things that they're clearly uneducated about, but that seems unlikely.
"It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now… there's obviously a lot going on that I'm not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren't," Hess said on February 6.
"I think for me, it's more I'm representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. 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."
So, to recap: Hess said he has "mixed emotions" representing the United States at the Olympics.
Emotions shouldn't be mixed about representing your country on a global stage, even if you disagree with the current political climate. Imagine how many young men and women wish they could represent America on the global stage. If you can’t represent the flag without a disclaimer, don’t be shocked when people wonder why you’re wearing it.
Hunter Hess tried to clarify his "mixed emotions" about representing Team USA after backlash and a Trump response, raising a familiar debate about athletes and politics.
Second, Hess basically said he's only representing his friends and family, plus people who agree with him politically. His use of "if it aligns with my moral values" is a clear signal to left-wingers, who love to claim moral superiority at every turn. It's easy to read his words and think he meant that he's really only representing the half of the country that didn't vote for President Donald Trump.
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