Shut Up and Ski?

It wouldn’t be 2026 if the Winter Olympics didn’t come with a small dose of political controversy and U.S. President Donald Trump calling someone a loser. In this case, Trump’s “real loser” comment was directed at Team USA freestyle skier Hunter Hess, who had had the audacity to speak openly about his feelings ahead of competing in Italy. "I think it brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now,” Hess had said. "There's obviously a lot going on that I'm not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren't. I think for me it's more I'm representing my, like, friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S."

That comment was enough to enrage Trump and his allies, with Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican, telling Hess to “shut up and play in the snow”, mirroring a comment made by Fox News host Laura Ingraham in 2018, when she advised NBA stars Lebron James and Kevin Durant to “shut up and dribble.” While political messages are forbidden during competition at the Olympics, athletes can speak their mind in press conferences and interviews – a right that Hess and others made use of. "I hope I can use my platform and my voice throughout these Games to try and encourage people to stay strong in these hard times," U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, said. “I know that a lot of people say you're just an athlete, like, stick to your job, shut up about politics, but politics affect us all. It is something that I will not just be quiet about because it is something that affects us in our everyday lives.”

According to a YouGov survey conducted after the controversy over Hess’ statements, Americans are divided in their support of athletes speaking out. While 60 percent of Democrats said that athletes should be allowed to make political statements at the Olympics, only 14 percent of Republicans thought so. 68 percent of Republican respondents were of the “shut up and ski” school of thought, with 18 percent undecided. Overall, 37 percent of the 12,000 respondents supported athletes’ right to speak up, while 40 percent were opposed to bringing politics to the Olympics.