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Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., criticized President Donald Trump on Sunday for his comments about U.S. Olympian Hunter Hess.
Hess faced the president’s wrath after saying he had “mixed emotions” about representing the United States at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Trump responded by calling the skier a “real loser.”
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Hunter Hess of the United States reacts during the men’s ski halfpipe final at the Toyota Grand Prix of the United States at Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort on January 9, 2026 in Aspen, Colorado. (Dustin Satloff/American Ski and Snowboard/Getty Images)
“Trump called US Olympian Hunter Hess a ‘real loser’ for criticizing what’s happening in our country under Trump,” Sanders wrote on
“Hess is not a loser. He is a proud American.”
Hess’ comments come as the Trump administration faces backlash over the use of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in immigration enforcement operations. An incident with ICE agents in January left Renee Good dead in Minnesota. Border Patrol agents also had a fatal encounter with Alex Pretti.
These incidents were apparently used as a catalyst for comments from Hess and teammate Chris Lillis. Hess said he had “mixed emotions” about representing the United States.
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Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation aimed at combating what Democrats describe as President Donald Trump’s “narcissism,” seeking to ban sitting presidents from putting their own names on federal buildings. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“It brings mixed emotions representing the United States right now, I think. It’s a little tough. 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.
“I think for me it’s more about representing my friends and family back home, the people who represented them before me, everything that I believe is good about the United States. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing them. Just because I’m carrying the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the United States.
“I just want to do it for my friends, my family and the people who support me to get here.”
Trump called out Hess on Truth Social.
“American Olympic skier Hunter Hess, a real loser, says he is not representing his country in the current Winter Olympics,” he wrote.
Hunter Hess of the United States performs a trick during the halfpipe final during the U.S. Grand Prix World Cup freestyle skiing event in Copper Mountain, Colorado, December 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Hugh Carey, file)
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“If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried to make the team, and it’s a shame he made it. Very hard to support someone like this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
