As soon as the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics began, Olympic athletes were required to give press conferences and speak to international media assembled in Italy. The American athletes got a lot of questions about the current (fascist) state of America, about ICE and about how it feels to represent their country abroad when so much despicable sh-t is happening back home. The American Olympians have been up for the challenge, and many have expressed nuanced sentiments about how much the Trump hostile takeover sucks. There was a viral Reuters clip over the weekend of two white American men, Olympic skiers Hunter Hess and Chris Lillis, speaking at a press conference about how it doesn’t feel great to represent America at this moment. Donald Trump responded by throwing a tantrum and targeting Hess in particular. Well, Hess is responding:

U.S. Olympic skier Hunter Hess has responded to President Donald Trump blasting him for saying he had “mixed feelings” about representing the U.S. at the winter games. The freestyle skier had said during a press conference on Saturday that representing the United States brings up “mixed emotions,” and that if he wins a medal, it would be more for his “family and the people that support me getting here” than his home country.

That, in turn prompted the POTUS to call him a “real loser” on social media.

“I love my country,” Hess said in a social media post Monday. “There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better. One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out.”

“The best part of the Olympics is that it brings people together, and when so many of us are divided we need that more than ever,” Hess added. “I cannot wait to represent Team USA next week when I compete. Thanks to everyone for their support.”

U.S. snowboarders at the Olympics also weighed in on the polemics with the U.S. president.

Women’s halfpipe champion Maddie Maestro, who is well positioned to earn her first Olympic medal, said she was proud to represent the U.S. but she’s “also saddened with what’s happening at home.”

“It’s really tough,” she added. “I feel like we can’t turn a blind eye to that. But at the same time, I represent a country that has the same values as mine, of kindness and compassion. And we come together in times of injustice.”

[From Variety]

“There are always things that could be better. One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out…” This is what I don’t get about the MAGA snowflake meltdown: they’re literally arguing that the Olympians don’t have “the right” to express mixed feelings about representing a country in the midst of violent turmoil. The snowflake argument is that the Olympians should be sent home, or not allowed to represent America in the Olympic games if the athletes don’t cosign every despicable thing Trump is doing. THAT is unamerican. To make an Olympian’s participation in the games contingent on their ability to regurgitate MAGA cult talking points. Incidentally, Senator Rick Scott is arguing that all of these woke Olympians *should* be sent home.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, screencaps courtesy of Reuters video.