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Lillis’ teammate, Hunter Hess, echoed similar sentiments. Hess, a freestyle halfpipe competitor, admitted that wearing Team USA gear currently feels uncomfortable.
He told reporters that representing the country “brings up mixed emotions” and is “a little hard” right now.
Hess went even further, stating that he is not the “biggest fan” of much that is happening in the United States at the moment. Still, he attempted to distance himself from full political ownership of the flag.
“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S. I just kind of want to do it for my friends and family, the people who supported me getting here,” Hess said.
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The comments were made during a press conference on Friday, shortly after the Olympic opening ceremony. That timing only intensified criticism, as many Americans believe the opening days of the Games should be about sportsmanship and national pride, not partisan grievances.
Adding to the spectacle, protests against ICE were reportedly taking place on the streets of Milan during the Games. Even U.S. leadership was not spared from hostility. Vice President JD Vance and First Lady Usha Vance were booed during the opening ceremony, a moment that many viewed as embarrassing and disrespectful on the world stage.
But perhaps the most vulgar incident tied to the controversy involved British freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy. As previously reported by conservative outlets, Kenworthy, who lives in the United States, filmed himself urinating in the snow as a form of protest against ICE ahead of the Games.
The stunt was widely condemned by conservatives as juvenile, obscene, and emblematic of the broader cultural decay infecting international sports.
For many Americans, the Olympics represent something sacred. Athletes are given the rare honor of representing their nation before the entire world. With that honor comes responsibility, humility, and respect for the flag they wear.
Instead, critics argue that parts of the athletic left are using the Olympic spotlight to air personal political grievances, often while enjoying the privileges and freedoms of the very country they criticize.
The frustration is not about disagreement. It is about timing, respect, and purpose. The Olympic Games are meant to showcase excellence, discipline, and unity across nations. Increasingly, however, they are becoming another stage for activists who seem more interested in signaling virtue than honoring the traditions that made the Games meaningful in the first place.
For millions of Americans watching from home, the message feels painfully clear. While athletes chase medals abroad, some appear all too willing to tarnish the country that made their success possible.
