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Is Anything Not About the President Anymore?
He is inescapable.
On the Friday before the Winter Olympics started in Milan in February, American skier Hunter Hess sat on a press conference dais with several other of his fellow Olympians, answering questions about what it felt like to showcase their abilities on the world’s stage. This was Hess’ first Olympics: Four years ago, just a couple of months before Olympic qualifiers, he crashed and tore his ACL, leading to more than a year of grueling rehab so he could return to the sport he had dedicated his entire life to mastering. In January 2026, Hess finally did it: He qualified for the Milan Olympics.
A month later, in Milan, a reporter asked the group of athletes how they felt representing the United States at the Olympics during a time of unprecedented turmoil on American soil and the rapid implosion of their home country’s reputation worldwide. Hunter Hess, who had probably not been interviewed more than 20 times in his life, was cautious, even impressively precise in his answer.
“If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it,” Hess said. “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
It is worth noting what Hess did not say. He did not say what, precisely, his moral values were. He did not say what…
