Some American athletes at the Winter Olympic Games have made headlines for political statements, which is nothing new. President Donald Trump, unsurprisingly, criticized skier Hunter Hess this month for a remark he interpreted as critical of his administration. Trump isn’t shy about using the federal government’s purse strings as leverage against institutions he sees as hostile. Yet there is no risk that Trump will threaten the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s funding in a political spat, because the group doesn’t receive any federal money. Think the China of today or the Soviet Union of yesterday.

Source: Washington Post February 16, 2026 22:08 UTC