JD Vance Tells Olympic Athletes to ‘Play Your Sport,’ Not ‘Pop Off About Politics’

Vice President JD Vance has weighed in on U.S. athletes who have spoken publicly about politics during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Vance, 41, was asked about the topic after several American Olympians commented on the country’s political climate during the Games, amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

“Yes, you’re going to have some Olympic athletes who pop off about politics,” Vance said, according to a clip shared by a CNN reporter on X. “I feel like that happens every Olympics.”

“My advice to them would be to try to bring the country together, and when you’re representing the country, you’re representing Democrats and Republicans,” he continued. “You’re there to play a sport, and you’re there to represent your country and hopefully win a medal. You’re not there to pop off about politics.”

He added that when “Olympic athletes enter the political arena,” they should “expect some pushback.”

“But most Olympic athletes, whatever their politics, are doing a great job,” he said. “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 to represent the country well.”

Several Team USA athletes have recently spoken about what it feels like to represent the United States amid political turmoil, including freestyle skiers Chris Lillis and Hunter Hess and figure skater Amber Glenn.

During a Feb. 6 press conference, Lillis, 27, said he “would never want to represent” any other country, but described feeling “heartbroken” over what he said was happening in the United States.

“A lot of times, athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things. I feel heartbroken about what’s happening in the United States,” he said. “I’m pretty sure you’re referencing ICE and some of the protests and things like that. 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.”

Hess, 27, said representing the U.S. at the 2026 Games “brings up mixed emotions.”

“It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t,” he said. “I think for me, it’s more I’m representing my friends and family back home… all the things that I believe are good about the United States.”

He added that “just because I wear the flag, it doesn’t mean I represent everything that is going on in the U.S.”

Two days later, President Trump, 79, criticized Hess on social media, saying he finds it “hard to root for” the skier’s success now.

“U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday, Feb. 8. “If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it.”

Glenn, 26, also addressed her decision to speak out during a Feb. 4 press conference, saying, “I know that a lot of people will say, ‘You’re just an athlete, stick to your job and shut up about politics,’ but politics affects us all.”

“It’s something that I will not just be quiet about, because it is something that affects us in our everyday lives,” she said. “So of course there are things that I disagree with, but as a community, we are strong and we support each other, and brighter days are ahead of us.”

Days later, Glenn said she would be taking a break from social media, writing that her remarks had prompted a “scary” amount of hate and threats online.

“I will be limiting my time on social media for my own wellbeing for now but I will never stop using my voice for what I believe in,” she wrote, signing the message with a white heart and an “Xoxo.”

Olympic bronze medal–winning rugby player Ilona Maher, who attended a women’s hockey game during the Games, also posted about separating support for athletes from support for politics.

“When I say, ‘Go USA!’ I am not condoning what is happening in my country,” Maher, 29, wrote on Instagram. “I say, ‘Go USA!’ for all the athletes who I believe are a beautiful representation of what America should be: Those that are following a dream like so many of their ancestors who dreamt of a better life and came to America for that.”

“I say, ‘Go USA’ in hopes that we will become a country who doesn’t just say ‘love thy neighbor’ but actually embodies it,” she continued.

Vance was in Italy for the Olympics’ opening ceremony on Feb. 6, where his appearance on the stadium screen drew boos from the crowd.

The debate over immigration has intensified in recent months, particularly following the shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota. ICE tactics, including the widely shared detainment of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, have also prompted outrage and national protests. On Feb. 6, residents of Milan staged an anti-ICE protest in the host city.