Vice President JD Vance stirred controversy on Wednesday, Feb. 11, after urging Olympic athletes to stop “popping off about politics” while defending President Donald Trump’s ongoing dispute with American freestyle skier Hunter Hess during a press gaggle in Azerbaijan.
Addressing the traveling press corps, Vance offered unsolicited guidance to Team USA competitors at the Winter Olympics in Italy, suggesting they focus on national unity rather than using their First Amendment rights to criticize the administration.
His remarks followed President Trump calling 27-year-old Hess a “real loser” after the skier expressed “mixed emotions” about representing the United States at the Games. Vance defended Trump’s comments, saying athletes who speak out politically should be ready for criticism.
“Most Olympic athletes, whatever their politics, are doing a great job, or certainly enjoy the support of the entire country, and I think recognize that the way to bring the country together is not to show up in a foreign country and attack the President of the United States, but it’s to play your sport and represent the country well,” Vance said.
Hess is among a growing group of Team USA athletes voicing concerns about the administration’s policies, creating ongoing friction between the White House and U.S. Olympians in Milan.
Vance traveled through Armenia to Azerbaijan as part of a U.S.-led effort to advance a peace agreement aimed at resolving a decades-long conflict. Before arriving in Baku, he attended the Olympics opening ceremony with his wife, Usha, where the 65,000 people at San Siro stadium greeted him with loud boos and jeers when he appeared on the big screen.
Vance downplayed the moment during the eight-minute press gaggle, claiming the media overstated the crowd’s negative reaction. He insisted he had “a great time at the Olympics” and praised the people of Milan as “great,” saying only a small portion of the audience disapproved of him.
During the same media availability, Vance also addressed the racist video controversy involving President Trump, who shared—and then deleted—a clip showing animated portrayals of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes on Truth Social late Thursday night, February 5.
Echoing defenses often used by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Vance blamed time zone differences and a demanding schedule for the delayed response. He claimed Trump hadn’t watched the full video before posting it and defended the president’s decision not to apologize, dismissing the backlash as “not a real controversy.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had previously brushed off the criticism as “fake outrage,” while Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he “didn’t see” the racist content but also insisted he “didn’t make a mistake.”
The vice president’s remarks add to a turbulent stretch for the administration, which has faced intensifying criticism on several fronts. Trump recently boasted about declining to invite Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Maryland Governor Wes Moore—the country’s only Black governor, whom Trump called “foul-mouthed”—to an upcoming National Governors Association event at the White House.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi drew attention on Capitol Hill after arriving with prewritten insult flash cards that she used against critics while refusing to answer questions about Jeffrey Epstein or the Justice Department’s handling of relevant documents. Republican Representative Thomas Massie revealed the existence of the cards, noting that Bondi had to sift through them because she couldn’t remember the insults.
Senator Bernie Sanders responded to the administration’s recent actions by writing on social media: “Mr. President, no one is required to bow down to you.”
As the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics continue, tensions between the White House and outspoken Team USA athletes have escalated further—an atmosphere Vance’s latest remarks have only intensified.
