American Skier Hunter Hess Responds With A “L” Gesture To Trump’s Loser Comments

Two-time Winter X Games superpipe medalist Hunter Hess finished tenth in the men’s freeski halfpipe at Livigno Snow Park on Friday.

American Skier Hunter Hess Responds With A “L” Gesture To Trump’s Loser Comments

Hunter Hess flashed a L sign after his qualifying run at the Milano Cortina Olympics (Image via Action Press)

In Short
  • Hunter Hess expressed mixed feelings about representing the U.S. amid political tensions and criticism of ICE.
  • After President Trump labeled him a "loser," Hess responded with an "L" gesture during his qualification run.
  • Hess received support from teammate Alex Ferreira and fellow athlete Gus Kenworthy amid the backlash he faced.

The United States of America freestyle skier Hunter Hess has become one of the most talked-about athletes at the Winter Olympics 2026 after he spoke out about the growing unease toward the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Hess, 27, admitted that he had mixed emotions about representing the country amid the political tensions.

The freestyle skier revealed that while he was wearing the Star and Stripes, he wasn’t representing what has been happening in the country. Hess’s strong comments at the international stage irked the conservatives and right-wing media in the country, including former athletes Mike Eruzione, Brett Favre, and even President Donald Trump.

Trump called the athlete “a real loser,” and admitted that he won’t be rooting for Hess in one of his Truth Social rants. Hess has since responded with an Instagram post that clarified that, as opposed to what the majority assumed, he loved the country but not what was happening.

In his freestyle halfpipe qualification, the Bend native he doubled down on his response, flashing a “L” gesture to the cameras after his run, explaining that “apparently he’s a loser.” He affirmed his love for the country while standing by his statements.

I worked so hard to be here. I sacrificed my entire life to make this happen. I’m not going to let controversy like that get in my way. I love the United States of America. I cannot say that enough. My original statement, I felt like I said that, but apparently, people didn’t take it that way. I’m so happy to be here, so happy to represent Team USA.

Hess was one of the twelve skiers who made the big final, where Alex Ferreira won the gold. Hess finished tenth after a crash in his second run stirred his momentum. Gus Kenworthy, who also joined the political imbroglio with his graphic post ahead of the Winter Olympics, finished sixth.

Alex Ferreira backed his teammate Hunter Hess amid the latter’s tough times

In his post-run interview, Hunter Hess confessed that he had been struggling with the political backlash, which was new for him.

Hunter Hess (Image via Getty Images)
Hunter Hess (Image via X)

The two-time Winter X Games bronze medalist also admitted that it was the toughest two weeks of his life.

There was a lot of noise and I’ve never been subject to that type of criticism. But with my family’s help, I was able to get through it. And skiing has saved my life, time and time again, and it seems to have done so again. It was probably the hardest two weeks of my life.

Alex Ferreira, 31, who’s Argentine by roots, backed his teammate Hess after collecting his gold medal.

Hunter is a member of our team. He’s a great guy. Others may disagree. But I stand by my teammate.

It was the first gold for the 31-year-old after winning silver and bronze in PyeongChang and Beijing, respectively. Estonia’s Henry Sildaru won silver behind Ferreira, his country’s first silver since Vancouver, when Kristina Šmigun-Vähi placed second in cross-country skiing. Canada’s Brendan McKay came in third to finish on the podium.

In addition to Ferreira, Hess has also received support from Gus Kenworthy, who won silver for the United States and switched allegiance to his mother’s country, competing for Team GB. Hess and Kenworthy trained in Laax, Switzerland, before the event, where the older and experienced Kenworthy chatted about their similar experiences.

We just chatted about it, kind of how we got through the hardship. He gave me some pointers, which was really nice. And he just helped me have a little bit of an avenue to get out of the pain and focus on the good.

Kenworthy has also faced multitudes of online hate for his comments, including personal attacks, hurling homophobic slurs, and death threats.

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