Sports fans have been enjoying their favorite athletes compete in the XXV Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy, for two weeks, and as the Games come to a close, competitors are sharing their experiences.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics end on Feb. 22, and one athlete wasn’t shy in sharing how President Donald Trump nearly ruined his experience after going home with broken bones and what looks like internal bleeding.
Trump bristled after Team USA men’s skier Hunter Hess said representing the U.S. means confronting the unrest tied to Trump’s ICE raids and immigration policies — a message many viewers supported.
“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think,” he expressed. “It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t.”
After noting that he felt he was representing his predecessors, friends, family and what is good about the country, Hess added, “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 my family and the people that support me getting here.”
Trump responded on Feb. 8, posting a nasty, but regrettably unsurprising, insult about the US athlete on his Truth Social platform.
“U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser,” he wrote. “Says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics. If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it. Very hard to root for someone like this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
One can imagine how Hess was treated by MAGA followers after Trump’s attack, and Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott suggested Hess be stripped of his uniform.
View on Threads
Before Hess competed in the men’s freeski halfpipe on Feb. 20, he flashed an “L” sign over his head, a reference to Trump’s attack, after qualifying for a run. He also said to the camera, “Apparently, I’m a loser.”
Hess beat 20 other athletes in the qualifying run. He was in fifth place going into the medal round, and he later revealed how Trump’s attack affected his first Olympic experience.
“It was probably the hardest two weeks of my life,” he told The Athletic later of Trump’s attack. “I’ve never been subject to that type of criticism before.” His teammate added that the experience was “pretty taxing” on Hess’ mental health.
“Normally you don’t do an interview and get called out by the President,” said Nick Goepper.
Hess noted that he was able to move forward due to the supporting messages he received, which he says, “meant the world to me.”
Hunter Hess says he flashed an L after his Olympic halfpipe qualifying run as a response to Donald Trump's comments about him.
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) February 20, 2026
"Apparently, I'm a loser."
Hess added: "I worked so hard to be here. I sacrificed my entire life to make this happen. I'm not going to let controversy… pic.twitter.com/RIdWARLPSw
But the reactions to Trump’s attacks were as nasty as his remarks.
“Being called a ‘real loser’ by our fat, rotting gash of a President is almost as good as winning an Olympic medal,” replied one user on Threads.
Another said, “The only total loser is DJT. I am proud of our Olympians. I support our Olympians. I support their right to voice their opinion. They are also affected by the nonsense perpetrated by a man that is supposed to be the leader of the free world.”
After his final run, Hess couldn’t have been happier to represent Team USA! He finished 10th in the men’s freeski halfpipe finals at Livigno Snow Park, with a fantastic score of 58.75 on his third run. Embracing his journey, he playfully added the “loser” nickname to his Instagram bio as a power flex move on Trump. Though he’ll head home with a broken wrist and a few bumps, he’s looking forward to the next challenge ahead. What a courageous spirit!
“I tried my best to fight but it wasn’t my night. I ended up breaking my wrist a few nights ago along with a hematoma on my hip,” Hess wrote on his Instagram, sharing images of how he fell, x-rays of his hand, and pictures of his severely bruised hip.
“This is no excuse for my poor performance but it was an honor to represent @teamusa. Thanks to all the staff that helped me show up,” he concluded.
Of course, annoying Trumpers called Hess 10th place ranking “karma” for appearing to speak against the United States. “Just like your bio says…a real loser!” while another wrote, “You really showed him didn’t you.”
Another said, “Ahahahahaha. 10th place. But we still won Gold!”
“Still did better than Trump,” echoed many who felt Hess was still a winner for competing in the Olympics, something Trump has never been able to do.
