Utah Gov. Spencer Cox pushed back on political questions at the 2026 Winter Olympics after reporters pressed him about President Donald Trump's recent criticism of a U.S. athlete and broader political division at home.
Speaking at a Tuesday press conference in Milan focused on the 2034 Winter Olympics — set to be hosted in Salt Lake City, Utah — Cox accused the press of chasing controversy instead of covering competition.
"I know the media loves this stuff,'' Cox began, according to USA Today. "It gets a lot of clicks.
"I hate the questions you ask the athletes," he said. "These are kids out there competing. I think you should be asking them about their sports and about their competition, and let the politics take care of the politics.''
The exchange followed a press conference last week involving American freestyle skier Hunter Hess, who was asked about representing the United States during a tense political moment that included ICE agents fatally shooting two protesters in Minnesota during immigration raids.
Hess responded that he had "mixed emotions" and it was "a little hard."
Trump later responded on Truth Social, writing in part that Hess was "a real Loser.''
After that post, questions also went to other high-profile athletes, including freestyle skier Eileen Gu and snowboarder Chloe Kim, who appeared to object to the tone of the president's message.
Cox, a Republican, avoided labeling any athletes "losers" when asked directly, emphasizing support for Team USA and framing the Olympics as a chance to unify.
"Look, we love our athletes, and we're grateful for our athletes,'' he said. "We recognize there are lots of divisions in our country and in our world today, and I love that we get to live in a country where people get to speak their minds.
"That's true of athletes, it's true of governors, it's true of presidents, it's true of every individual in our country," Cox continued. "And I'm grateful for that and again, we care about unity, we believe this [the 2034 Olympics] is an opportunity to bring people together.''
Cox also weighed in more broadly on immigration enforcement, saying the U.S. has laws and "those laws need to be enforced."
"I think that's very important," the governor said. "I think that's true in every country. I had to show my documents when I came here to Italy ... But, again, those are political issues that will be worked through.''
Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, noted that Hess sought to clarify his views in a Monday Instagram post that began, "I love my country.''
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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