Vice President JD Vance stirred controversy on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, after urging Olympic athletes to stop “popping off about politics” while defending President Donald Trump’s recent dispute with American freestyle skier Hunter Hess during a press interaction in Azerbaijan.
Speaking to the traveling press corps, Vance offered unsolicited guidance to Team USA participants at the Winter Olympics in Italy, arguing they should emphasize unity over exercising their First Amendment rights to criticize the administration.
His remarks followed President Trump’s labeling of the 27-year-old Hess as a “real loser” after the athlete admitted he had “mixed emotions” about representing the U.S. at the Winter Games. Vance defended Trump’s remarks, noting that athletes who speak on political matters should be ready for backlash.
“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 number of American Olympians criticizing administration policies, further straining relations between the White House and Team USA competitors in Milan.
Vance traveled to Azerbaijan via Armenia to help advance a U.S.-mediated agreement aimed at ending a decades-long conflict between the nations. Before stopping in Baku, he attended the Olympic opening ceremony with his wife, Usha, where the 65,000 spectators at San Siro Stadium greeted him with loud boos and jeers after he appeared on the screen.
During the eight-minute exchange with reporters, Vance downplayed the episode, saying the media overstated the negative reaction. He claimed he had “a great time at the Olympics” and praised the people of Milan as “great,” suggesting only a small portion of the crowd reacted negatively.
During the same media availability, Vance also commented on the racist video controversy involving President Trump, who had posted and later deleted a video on Truth Social showing animated versions of Barack and Michelle Obama depicted as apes late Thursday night, Feb. 5.
Offering a defense similar to those often used by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Vance attributed the delayed response to time zone issues and an overloaded schedule. He claimed Trump had not viewed the video in full before sharing it and defended the president’s refusal to apologize, dismissing public outrage as “not a real controversy.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previously brushed off criticism of the video 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 tumultuous stretch for the administration, which has been facing escalating criticism on several issues. Recently, President Trump bragged about denying invitations to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore—the nation’s only Black governor, whom Trump described as “foul-mouthed”—to a National Governors Association event at the White House.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi drew attention on Capitol Hill when she arrived with prewritten insult flash cards to target critics while refusing to answer questions regarding Jeffrey Epstein and the Justice Department’s handling of related documents. Republican Representative Thomas Massie revealed the cards, pointing out that Bondi had to shuffle through them because she couldn’t remember the jabs.
Senator Bernie Sanders reacted to the administration’s recent behavior by posting on social media: “Mr. President, no one is required to bow down to you.”
As the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics wrapped up, tensions between outspoken American athletes and the White House have only intensified, with Vance’s latest comments escalating the dispute even further.