“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. — if it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it,”
He then made his position unmistakably clear.
“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Hunter Hess is the poster child for young WOKE low testosterone males in America.
A privileged white kid who grew up in Lilly White Bend Oragon and was indoctrinated by liberal psychopaths his whole life. pic.twitter.com/gSyMFcH2qe
To many Americans, that statement landed like a slap in the face—especially coming from an athlete who earned a coveted spot on Team USA and willingly accepted the honor of competing under the American flag.
The controversy escalated further when fellow freestyle skier Chris Lillis echoed similar sentiments, shifting the conversation away from sports entirely and toward progressive political talking points.
“I feel heartbroken about what’s happening in the United States — I’m pretty sure you’re referencing ICE and some of the protests and things like that,”
Lillis framed his Olympic role not as a representation of national unity, but as an opportunity to project a different vision of America.
“I think that, as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens as well as anybody, with love and respect. I hope that when people look at athletes compete in the Olympics, they realize that that’s the America we’re trying to represent,”
YOU chose to wear our flag. YOU chose to represent our country. YOU chose to compete at the @Olympics.
Those comments ignited immediate outrage across conservative media and Capitol Hill, where critics accused the athletes of politicizing sports and insulting millions of Americans who take pride in their country.
Florida Congressman Byron Donalds delivered one of the strongest rebukes.
“YOU chose to wear our flag. YOU chose to represent our country. YOU chose to compete,”
Donalds didn’t mince words.
“If that’s too hard for you, then GO HOME. Some things are bigger than politics. You just don’t get it,”
Raise your hand if you think Olympic Skier Hunter Hess should be disqualified off the U.S. Team pic.twitter.com/wx3vkNsyrL
The message resonated with many who believe representing the United States—especially on an international stage—is not about personal ideology, moral qualifiers, or political signaling.
Sports commentator Zach Dean of OutKick was even more blunt, unleashing a scorching critique that quickly went viral.
“I’d put this jacka** on the bench (do they have that in skiing?) so fast, heads would spin,”
Dean continued:
“We’re good. We don’t need you. Now, to be fair, I don’t know who you are (nobody does), but I’m certain we don’t need those vibes on our team.”
He didn’t stop there.
“These gaslighters are just the worst. Truly, truly insufferable. I mean, if you’re going to hem and haw that much, you might as well just come out and say you hate Trump and get it over with. Quit beating around the bush. At least have the stones to say it,”
OlympicVision: Liberal, insufferable and ripping on the USA while you’re representing your Country in the Olympics. Evidently several on Team USA feel their opinions are much more important than what the games are about. 🇺🇸 Team USA Olympic Skier Hunter Hess brought his whiney… pic.twitter.com/vj0uSxlNXA
Dean later translated Hess’s remarks into what he described as plain English.
“I hate America, I hate Trump, I’m only here because I’m technically a US citizen, but I wish I were from literally anywhere else because I need to be as progressive as humanly possible to appease the mob.”
For many conservatives, the episode reflects a broader cultural problem: elite athletes enjoying the privileges of American citizenship while publicly expressing embarrassment over the very country that made their success possible.
The backlash shows no signs of slowing, and the controversy raises a simple but uncomfortable question—if representing the United States is such a burden, why insist on doing it at all?
Hunter Hess should be disqualified from all other competitions. And be sent home.