Winter Olympics 2026 live updates: Latest from Day 3 of Games with U.S. reaching gold medal game in curling mixed doubles

LIVIGNO, Italy — A day after President Donald Trump called the Olympian Hunter Hess “a real loser” over the freestyle skier’s comments about representing the United States, two of the biggest stars at these Winter Olympics have spoken out in a Games that is becoming ever more politically charged.

Freestyle skier Eileen Gu and snowboarder Chloe Kim were both asked Monday about President Trump’s Sunday post on Truth Social in which he said it was “very hard to root for someone like this,” in reference to Hess, a halfpipe specialist, who Friday said it was “a little hard” to represent the U.S. amid a tense and divisive political climate back home.

“I’m sorry that the headline that is eclipsing the Olympics has to be something so …” said the 22-year-old Gu, a two-time gold medalist, before pausing to choose her next word carefully, “unrelated to the spirit of the Games. It really runs contrary to everything the Olympics should be.”