Sanders calls Olympic skier 'proud American' despite having 'mixed emotions' about representing US

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., needled President Donald Trump connected Sunday implicit comments helium made astir American Olympian Hunter Hess.

Hess faced the wrath of the president aft helium said helium had "mixed emotions" astir representing the U.S. astatine the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Trump responded by calling the skier a "real loser."

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Hunter Hess reacts during the men's skis halfpipe last astatine the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix connected Jan. 9, 2026 successful Aspen, Colorado. (Dustin Satloff/U.S. Ski and Snowboard/Getty Images)

"Trump called American Olympian Hunter Hess a ‘real loser’ for criticizing what’s happening successful our state nether Trump," Sanders wrote connected X. "Mr. President, this is not a monarchy. This is the United States and nary 1 is required to bow down to you.

"Hess is not a loser. He's a arrogant American."

Hess’ comments came arsenic the Trump medication faced backlash implicit the usage of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successful enforcement operations. An incidental with ICE agents successful January near Renee Good dormant successful Minnesota. Border Patrol agents besides had a deadly brushwood with Alex Pretti.

Those incidents were seemingly utilized arsenic the catalyst for the comments from Hess and his teammate Chris Lillis. Hess said helium had "mixed emotions" astir representing the U.S.

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"Hess is not a loser. He's a arrogant American," Sen. Bernie Sanders said of the Olympic athlete. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

"It brings up mixed emotions to correspond the U.S. close now, I think. It’s a small hard. There’s evidently a batch going connected that I’m not the biggest instrumentality of, and I deliberation a batch of radical aren’t," Hess said.

"I think, for me, it’s much I’m representing my friends and household backmost home, the radical that represented it earlier me, each the things that I judge are bully astir the U.S. If it aligns with my motivation values, I consciousness similar I’m representing it. Just due to the fact that I’m wearing the emblem doesn't mean I correspond everything that’s going connected successful the U.S.

"I conscionable benignant of privation to bash it for my friends and my household and the radical that enactment maine getting here."

Trump called retired Hess connected Truth Social.

"U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a existent Loser, says helium doesn’t correspond his Country successful the existent Winter Olympics," helium wrote.

Hunter Hess executes a instrumentality successful the halfpipe finals during the World Cup U.S. Grand Prix freestyle skiing lawsuit successful Copper Mountain, Colorado, Dec. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Hugh Carey, File)

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"If that’s the case, helium shouldn’t person tried retired for the Team, and it’s excessively atrocious he’s connected it. Very hard to basal for idiosyncratic similar this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.