Hess flashed 'L' sign in response to Trump calling him a 'loser'
Hess stands by his original statement about representing the USA
He used the controversy as motivation for his Olympic performance
Teammate Alex Ferreira publicly supported Hess
The incident marked the first major political controversy of the 2026 Winter Olympics
📖 Full Retelling
American freeskier Hunter Hess flashed an 'L' sign for 'loser' after his successful Olympic halfpipe qualifying run in Livigno, Italy on February 20, 2026, responding to President Trump's earlier criticism after the athlete expressed mixed feelings about representing the U.S. during the Trump administration. The 27-year-old athlete, who qualified for the finals alongside three other Americans, explained he has used the entire political firestorm as motivation for his Olympic performance. After nailing his first run, he bent his left thumb and forefinger into an 'L' shape, lifted it to his forehead, and pointed at it with his other hand, saying 'Apparently, I'm a loser.' Hess's controversial comments came during a pre-Olympic news conference where he was asked how he felt representing the country during the Trump administration's heightened immigration enforcement actions. His response that 'If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I'm representing it. Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S.' prompted Trump to label him a 'real Loser' on Truth Social, suggesting he shouldn't have tried out for the team. Despite facing public criticism and threats to his family, Hess remained steadfast in his position, declaring 'I stand with what I said. I love the United States of America. I cannot reiterate that enough. It means the absolute world to me to be able to represent Team USA here.' His teammate Alex Ferreira, who went on to win gold in the event, publicly supported Hess, stating 'Hunter is a member of our team. He is a great guy, who works super hard... I stand by my teammate.'
🏷️ Themes
Free speech, Politics in sports, National representation
# Hunter Hess
**Hunter Hess** (born October 1, 1998) is a premier American freestyle skier and Olympian, recognized for his technical proficiency in the halfpipe and his contributions to modern freeskiing.
## Biography
Born in Teton Village, Wyoming, Hess developed his skills within the competitiv...
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; French: Jeux olympiques) are the world's preeminent international sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports events in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of athletic competitions. The Olympic Games, open to both ...
Action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage
In politics, a political scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage. Politicians, government officials, party officials and lobbyists can be accused of various illegal, corrupt, unethical or sexual practices. Politicians and officials who a...
President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.
Born into a wealthy New York City family, Trump graduated from the...
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognised as a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human ...
By — Eddie Pells, Associated Press Eddie Pells, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Olympic freeskier Hunter Hess flashes 'L' sign, says he stands by his statement and loves the USA World Feb 20, 2026 6:42 PM EST LIVIGNO, Italy — American freeskier Hunter Hess got to the end of his successful run in Olympic halfpipe qualifying, then leaned into the camera. He bent his left thumb and forefinger into the shape of an "L," lifted it to his forehead and pointed at it with the other hand. "Apparently," he explained, "I'm a loser." The 27-year-old who received that label from U.S. President Donald Trump at the start of the Olympics — leading to threats to his family and setting off the first major political imbroglio of the Games — finally got in the starting gate Friday. Fired up after nailing his first run, he flashed the "L" sign, then explained he has used the entire episode as motivation. READ MORE: Trump slams Olympian for expressing 'mixed emotions' about what's 'going on in the U.S.' "I worked so hard to be here. I sacrificed my entire life to make this happen," Hess said. "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 four Americans to qualify for the 12-man final, where Alex Ferreira's victory gave the U.S. team its first gold medal over nearly two weeks of skiing and snowboarding at the Livigno Snow Park. During a news conference at the start of the Games, skiers were asked how they felt representing the country during the Trump administration's heightened immigration enforcement actions back home. Hess' response: "If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I'm representing it. Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't m...
