President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn upon his arrival to the White House, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)2026-02-09T21:47:47Z LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) As the Winter Olympics opened in Milan, Vice President JD Vance hailed the competition as one of the few things that unites the entire country.That unity didnt last long.The early days of the Milan Cortina Games have been roiled by the tumultuous political debate in the U.S. American athletes have faced persistent questions about President Donald Trumps aggressive immigration enforcement agenda and their comfort in representing a country whose policies are increasingly controversial on the world stage.Theres obviously a lot going on that Im not the biggest fan of and I think a lot of people arent, American freestyle skier Hunter Hess said as he spoke of the mixed emotions of representing the U.S. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like Im representing it. Just because Im wearing the flag doesnt mean I represent everything thats going on in the U.S. That prompted a fast response from Trump, who said on social media that Hess was a real loser who shouldnt have tried out for the team.Very hard to root for someone like this, the president added. The criticism of an American athlete from a U.S. president was a sharp departure from the unifying, apolitical tones the White House typically strikes during the Olympics, highlighting how the tension over the enforcement of Trumps immigration policies has now bled into athletic competition. Other leading conservative voices, ranging from podcaster Megyn Kelly to a Republican candidate for governor in Florida, added to the critique of Hess, with some calling for him to be taken off the U.S. team. By Monday, other top athletes who have previously found themselves in political controversy were rallying to Hess defense. In moments like these, it is really important for us to unite and kind of stand up for one another for all thats going on, said Chloe Kim, the two-time Olympic gold medalist whose parents are South Korean immigrants and who has faced racism throughout her career for her Asian heritage. After her silver-medal win in slopestyle, Eileen Gu, who was born in San Francisco and competes for China, said she had been in touch with Hess, who told her she was one of the few people who could relate to what hes going through.As someone whos been caught in the crossfire before, I feel sorry for the athletes, said Gu, whose decision to compete for China drew sharp critiques. The Olympics are never walled off from politicsThe Olympics are never walled off from the political and cultural debates. The raised fists of Tommie Smith and John Carlos during the 1968 Olympics remain one of the most powerful and enduring images of protest and resistance to racial injustice in the U.S. Since then, political commentary from athletes has become more commonplace, aided by social media platforms that allow competitors to share their real-time thoughts on everything from food and nutrition to news of the day. The comments from athletes in Italy are notable, however, because theyre coming at the biggest global sporting event to occur since federal agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis last month, reigniting a debate in the U.S. and abroad over Trumps hard-line immigration measures. Chris Lillis, another American freestyle skier, said he felt heartbroken about whats happening in the United States.As a country, we need to focus on respecting everybodys rights and making sure that were treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect, he said. I hope that when people look at athletes competing in the Olympics, they realize that thats the America that were trying to represent.Skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin quoted Nelson Mandela as she acknowledged a lot of hardship in the world globally, and theres a lot of heartbreak, theres a lot of violence.It can be tough to reconcile that when youre also competing for medals in an Olympic event, she said. Im really hoping to show up and represent my own values, values of inclusivity, values of diversity and kindness and sharing, tenacity, work ethic, showing up with my team every single day. For the most part, athletes are largely engaging in political conversation during news conferences when theyre specifically asked to respond to news events. At one such press event, American figure skater Amber Glenn, an outspoken LGBTQ+ rights activist, noted that the queer community is going through a hard time under Trump. She later said she would step back from social media after receiving threats on the platform. Political controversy can put athletes at an uneasy intersection as they weigh whether to use their platforms to take a stance or avoid anything that might upset their fans or sponsors. During last months Australian Open tennis tournament, American Amanda Anisimova said questions about U.S. politics were not relevant. Another American player, Taylor Fritz, said he felt that whatever I say here is going to get put in a headline and its going to get taken out of context. So Id really rather not do something thats going to cause a big distraction for me in the middle of the tournament, he said.Back at the Olympics, U.S. speedskater Casey Dawson, said we definitely know the whole situation going on in the USA while noting that politics dont apply to us at the Games. Were here to skate, said Dawson, who finished eighth in the mens 5,000 meters on Sunday with Vance and his family in the stands. Were here to skate. Were here to perform.___Sloan reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Howard Fendrich and Graham Dunbar in Milan contributed to this report. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site