MILAN, Italy – Utah Gov. Spencer Cox chided reporters at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Tuesday, Feb. 10 when asked about President Trump calling a US athlete “a real loser’’ and political division in the United States.
“I know the media loves this stuff,’’ Cox said at a press conference about the 2034 Winter Olympics that will be hosted in Salt Lake City, Utah. “It gets a lot of clicks.
“I hate the questions you ask the athletes. These are kids out there competing. I think you should be asking them about their sports and about their competition and let the politics take care of the politics.’’
Hunter Hess, an American freestyle skier, was asked in a press conference Feb. 4 about representing the United States at a fraught time that includes ICE agents killing two protesters in Minnesota during immigration raids.
Hess said he had “mixed emotions” and it was “a little hard.”
Trump lashed out with a Truth Social post, writing in part that Hess was “a real Loser.’’
Later, freestyle skier Eileen Gu and snowboarder Chloe Kim were asked about Trump’s comments and seemed to take issue with the hostile tone of the president’s post.
Cox, a Republican, sidestepped controversy when asked if Olympic athletes were losers.
“Look, we love our athletes and we’re grateful for our athletes,’’ he said. “We recognize there are lots of divisions in our country and in our world today and I love that we get to live in a country where people get to speak their minds.
“That’s true of athletes, it’s true of governors, it’s true of presidents, it’s true of every individuals in our country. And I’m grateful for that and again we care about unity, we believe this (the 2034 Olympics) is an opportunity to bring people together.’’
Cox delved into politics, saying, “We have laws in the United States and those laws need to be enforced. I think that’s very important. I think that’s true in every country. I had to show my documents when I came here to Italy…But again those are political issues that will be worked through.’’
Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, pointed out that Hess on Feb. 9 posted on Instagram a comment that began, “I love my country.’’
Said Hirshland, “I’ve been in touch with Hunter, we’ve been in touch with folks in the United States to ensure that everyone understands the context and intention behind all of these comments.’’