Washington DC - President Donald Trump recently responded after skier Hunter Hess publicly expressed concern about the state of US politics as he represents the country in the Winter Olympics.

During a press conference on Friday, Hess revealed that he felt "mixed emotions" about representing the US, because there is "a lot going on that I'm not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren't."

"Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the US," Hess added.

In response, Trump shared a Truth Social post on Sunday, describing Hess as "a real loser" for not wanting to "represent his country."

"If that's the case, he shouldn't have tried out for the team, and it's too bad he's on it," the president added.

"Very hard to root for someone like this."

Trump ran for president on the promise of "restoring free speech," but he has since used the role to slander, suppress, and legally target media outlets and public figures who are critical of him and his MAGA agenda.

In his remarks, Hess went on to add, "I think for me, it's more I'm representing my like friends and family back home, the people that represent it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the US."

While Hess did not reference Trump or any specific issues, he made his remarks shortly after fellow skier Chris Lillis called out the president's administration for deploying ICE to occupy cities across the US, which he said has left him feeling "heartbroken."

"I think that as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody's rights and making sure that we're treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect," Lillis said.

"And I hope that when people look at athletes competing in the Olympics, they realize that that's the America we're trying to represent," he added.