COLUMN: Trump vs. Athletes as American Pride Crumbles Under Insults and Threats

When the Flag Becomes a Burden

Hunter Hess isn’t the only one who feels “mixed emotions” about representing the United States. “A lot of people aren’t fans of what’s going on,” he noted, reflecting a sentiment shared by a growing segment of the American population. “National pride is in free fall,” confirms a Pew Research Center study published in January 2026: only 38% of young Americans say they are “very proud” of their country, down from 70% in 2002. “Trump’s America has become a country to be ashamed of,” an anonymous athlete told AFP. “We’re asked to fly the flag, but we’re forbidden from criticizing what it stands for.” Yet this dissonance is nothing new. As early as 2024, athletes like LeBron James and Megan Rapinoe had denounced the Trump administration’s “authoritarian excesses.” But by 2026, with restrictions on the rights of transgender women, police violence, threats to press freedom, and attacks on minorities, the unease had become widespread. “We’re told to be silent, but how can we be proud of a country that despises us?” asks Amber Glenn. “Politics affects us all, and if we can no longer talk about it, then what’s the point of being a citizen?” A question that rings like an admission of failure: that of a country which, instead of listening to its athletes, prefers to insult them.

There was a time when carrying the American flag was an honor. A source of pride. A responsibility. Today, for many, it’s a burden. A weight. A contradiction. Because how can you be proud of a country that treats you like an enemy? How can you be proud of a country that humiliates its athletes? How can you be proud of a country where freedom of speech is met with death threats? Hunter Hess, Amber Glenn, and all those who dare to speak out—they are not traitors. They are the last to believe that their country can be better. That it can be more just. More open. More dignified. But when they’re called “losers,” when they’re threatened, when they’re forced to be silent, then we’re stealing far more from them than just a flag. We’re stealing their hope. We’re stealing their pride. We’re stealing their country. And that is the worst kind of betrayal. Because a nation isn’t just a territory. It isn’t just a government. It’s not a president. It’s an idea. An idea of what we want to be together. And when that idea is reduced to “obey or shut up,” then there’s nothing left. Nothing left to defend. Nothing left to love. Nothing left to pass on. Just an empty flag. Just a soulless anthem. Just a country that has forgotten what it means to be American.

The Art of Turning Criticism into Betrayal

Trump’s reaction to Hunter Hess is not an isolated incident. It’s a pattern. As soon as an athlete, an artist, or a journalist dares to criticize his policies, the president brings out the heavy artillery: insults, threats, and moral condemnation. “A real loser,” “a failure,” “a traitor”—the epithets rain down, always the same, always just as vicious. “If you’re not proud, stay home,” he told Hess, as if patriotism were a blind obligation, an unconditional submission. “It’s very hard to support someone like that,” he added, implying that critical athletes don’t deserve their country’s support. Yet this strategy is nothing new. As early as 2020, he had called Colin Kaepernick a “son of a bitch” for taking a knee against police violence. In 2024, he labeled NBA players who were boycotting games in protest as “Marxists.” And in 2026, it’s the same playbook: demonize, isolate, crush. “We’re told to shut up, but politics affects us all,” Amber Glenn points out. “And if we can no longer talk about it, then we’re no longer living in a democracy.” A bitter but lucid observation: under Trump, dissent is no longer a right. It’s a crime.

Trump has one obsession: unanimity. A superficial unanimity, of course. An imposed unanimity. A unanimity that tolerates no criticism, no nuance, no doubt. Because for him, patriotism isn’t about loving your country. It’s about obeying. It’s about keeping quiet. It’s about turning a blind eye. And when you don’t obey, when you don’t keep quiet, when you refuse to turn a blind eye, then you become an enemy. A traitor. A “loser.” As if asking questions were an insult. As if doubting were treason. As if wanting a better country were a crime. But it’s exactly the opposite. That’s what true patriotism is: loving your country enough to want it to be better. Enough to demand that it uphold its values. Enough to refuse to let it become a caricature of itself. Hunter Hess, Amber Glenn, and all those who speak out—they are not betraying America. They are saving it. Because they refuse to submit. They refuse to remain silent. They refuse to turn a blind eye. And that is the only thing that can still save this country. Because when we accept everything, when we swallow everything, when we submit to everything, then there is nothing left. Nothing left to defend. Nothing left to love. Nothing left to pass on. Just an empty flag. Just a soulless anthem. Just a country that has forgotten what it means to be free.

When Athletes Become Targets

As soon as Hunter Hess voiced his reservations, social media went wild. “Traitor,” “anti-American,” “scum”—the insults flew, fueled by pro-Trump accounts and pro-Russian bots. “A terrifying amount of hate,” said Amber Glenn, who received rape and death threats after criticizing the administration’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies. “We’re told to stay silent, but as soon as we speak up, we become targets,” she laments. Yet these attacks aren’t spontaneous. They’re orchestrated. “There’s a hate machine that kicks into gear as soon as an athlete dares to speak up,” an MIT researcher explained to AFP. “ Coordinated accounts, pre-written messages, hashtags that explode within minutes.” The result: athletes find themselves isolated, harassed, and threatened. “I received messages telling me I’d end up like the Minneapolis protesters,” confides an anonymous athlete, referring to the two people killed by federal police in January 2026. “We’re accused of betraying America, but the real problem is those who use hate as a political weapon.” This observation alone sums up the paradox: those who claim to defend America are the very ones tearing it apart.

There is something deeply unhealthy about seeing a country turn against its own children—its athletes, its heroes—those who, normally, should embody the best it has to offer. Yet today, they are treated as enemies, as traitors, as targets—because they dare to speak out, because they dare to question, because they dare to demand better. And in the face of this, there is no such thing as neutrality. Either we support them. Or we abandon them. Either we defend their right to speak out. Or we hand them over to the mob. Because this hatred isn’t spontaneous. It’s organized. It’s exploited. It’s used as a weapon. A weapon to silence. A weapon to divide. A weapon to dominate. And when we let it happen, when we look the other way, when we remain silent, then we become accomplices. Accomplices in the destruction of what makes a country a nation. Accomplices in the victory of fear over hope. Accomplices in the end of the very idea of democracy. And that is not an option. Because when we abandon our athletes, we abandon our country. When we hand them over to hatred, we hand our country over to barbarism. When we force them to be silent, we condemn ourselves to silence. And that is not pride. It is cowardice.

When Institutions Turn a Blind Eye

Faced with Trump’s wave of hate and attacks, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has remained silent. “I’m not going to add to the debate,” said its spokesperson, staying true to the organization’s “caution regarding politics.” Yet Article 50 of the Olympic Charter is clear: athletes have the right to speak out at press conferences, in the mixed zone, and on social media. “Political neutrality must not become complicity,” says a lawyer specializing in sports law. “When a president insults an athlete, when threats are flying, the IOC has a duty to respond.” Yet, nothing. “We’re told to keep quiet, but when we speak out, we’re on our own,” laments Amber Glenn. “The IOC prefers not to upset Trump. ” A silence that speaks volumes: Olympic institutions, like so many others, prefer submission to confrontation. “It’s easier to turn a blind eye than to defend your athletes,” sums up a former IOC member. “But eventually, you become an accomplice.”

Silence, at times, is a betrayal. When an athlete is insulted by a president. When they’re threatened by hordes of haters. When they’re abandoned by their own country. Then silence is no longer neutrality. It’s complicity. Because when we say nothing, we let it happen. When we don’t react, we endorse it. When we don’t protect, we abandon. And that isn’t prudence. It’s cowardice. The IOC knows this. The federations know it. The sponsors know it. But they prefer to stay silent. Because it’s easier. Because it avoids trouble. Because it protects their contracts. But by staying silent, we end up accepting everything. By turning a blind eye, we end up normalizing everything. By abandoning our athletes, we end up abandoning our values. And that is not neutrality. It is submission. A submission that, one day, will come back to haunt those who accepted it. Because when you abandon your heroes, you abandon your soul. And a country without a soul, a sport without a soul, an Olympics without a soul—that’s not much of anything. Just a spectacle. Just a business. Just an empty shell. And that is not the Olympic ideal. That is not America. That is not pride. True pride must be earned. It must be defended. It must be passed down. It does not submit.

When Politics Poisons the Future

The Milan-Cortina Olympics are just a taste of what awaits Los Angeles in 2028. “Trump’s shadow already looms over the event,” headlines RTL, noting that “American politics is meddling in sports.” As early as 2025, Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s events, in direct contradiction to the IOC’s recommendations. “A decision that risks triggering a boycott,” warns Kirsty Coventry, chair of the Athletes’ Commission. “International federations could refuse to send their teams,” she adds. Yet Trump is not backing down. “The 2028 Games will be ‘America First,’” he declared, promising “an unprecedented opening ceremony”—and undoubtedly one without critical athletes. “We’re being told to get ready for a celebration. But what’s the point of a celebration when we know that repression lies behind it?” asks a member of the organizing committee. “The Games should be a moment of unity. Not a showcase for a regime.”

Los Angeles 2028 is shaping up to be a nightmare. A nightmare where sports will be nothing more than a backdrop. Where athletes will be nothing more than extras. Where national pride will be nothing more than a slogan. Because Trump, for his part, has already planned everything. He has already decided everything. The Games will be “America First.” An America without nuance. Without criticism. Without dissidents. An America where you either applaud or you keep quiet. Where you either obey or you disappear. Where you’re either proud or you’re a “loser.” But a celebration without freedom is a prison. A spectacle without debate is propaganda. An Olympics without values is a farce. And that isn’t sports. It’s submission. A submission that, if we do nothing, will become the norm. That will become the rule. That will become the future. And that is not an option. Because sports, precisely, are the opposite. They are freedom. They are pushing beyond one’s limits. They are excellence. They are unity. And when we turn them into an instrument of propaganda, a tool of repression, a showcase for a regime, then we have lost everything. Then there is nothing left. Nothing left to celebrate. Nothing left to pass on. Nothing left to love. Just a country that has forgotten what it means to be free. Just a country that has forgotten what it means to be proud. And that is not greatness. It is decadence.

When Allies Look the Other Way

Faced with the crackdown on American athletes, the rest of the world remains divided. Some countries, such as Denmark and Canada, have booed the U.S. delegation in protest. “It’s a way of showing that Trump’s America is not ours,” explains a European diplomat. Others, such as France and Germany, prefer to remain silent, for fear of trade retaliation. “We don’t want to alienate Trump,” confides a senior official. Yet this caution comes at a cost. “When we say nothing, we become complicit,” says Kaja Kallas, the head of European diplomacy, who praised “European pride” during the opening ceremony. “The Games should be a moment of unity. Not division.” Yet, in the face of Trump’s war machine, few dare to resist. “We’re afraid. Afraid of sanctions. Afraid of retaliation. Afraid of economic war,” admits a sports official. “But by staying silent, we end up accepting everything.”

The world is watching. The world knows. The world understands. But the world remains silent. Because it’s easier. Because it avoids trouble. Because it protects interests. But by remaining silent, we become accomplices. Accomplices to repression. Accomplices to hatred. Accomplices to the destruction of everything that makes sports a celebration of humanity. Because sports, after all, are more than just a game. They’re an idea. An idea of what we can accomplish together. An idea of what we can overcome. An idea of what we can pass on. And when we let one man—just one—decide that this idea must bow to his will, then we have lost everything. Then we have betrayed what we were supposed to defend. Then we have abandoned what we were supposed to protect. Then we have renounced what we were supposed to embody. And that is not prudence. It’s cowardice. A cowardice that, one day, will come back to haunt those who accepted it. Because when we abandon our values, we abandon our soul. And a world without a soul is a world without hope. Without light. Without a future. And that is not an option. It is not a possibility. It is not a choice.

When Pride Turns to Shame

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games will go down in history as the ones where America lost its pride. Where a president chose to insult his athletes rather than listen to them. Where athletes had to choose between staying silent or risking their safety. Where the flag became a symbol of division rather than unity. “We’re told to keep quiet, but politics affects us all,” Amber Glenn pointed out. “And if we can no longer talk about it, then we’re no longer living in a democracy.” Yet, faced with this reality, Trump isn’t backing down. He’s pushing forward. He’s making threats. He’s asserting his dominance. “The 2028 Games will be ‘America First,’” he promised. An America without nuance. Without criticism. Without freedom. An America where pride will be nothing more than an obligation. Where patriotism will be nothing more than submission. Where freedom will be nothing more than a memory. And that is not greatness. It is decadence. A decadence that, if we do nothing, will become the norm. That will become the future. That will become our legacy. And that is not an option. Because America deserves better. Because its athletes deserve better. Because the world deserves better. Because pride, after all, cannot be decreed. It must be earned. It must be built. It must be passed down. And when it is reduced to a slogan, to an obligation, to submission, then there is nothing left. Nothing left to celebrate. Nothing left to love. Nothing left to pass on. Just a country that has forgotten what it means to be free.

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I don’t know if American athletes will find their voices again. I don’t know if the IOC will finally find the courage to defend them. I don’t know if the world will dare to resist the Trumpist war machine. But one thing is certain: we can no longer remain silent. We can no longer look the other way. We can no longer accept that national pride is reduced to blind submission. Because true pride isn’t about obeying without thinking. It isn’t about staying silent out of fear. It isn’t about closing our eyes out of cowardice. True pride is daring to say that our country can be better. It’s daring to demand that it uphold its values. It’s daring to refuse to let it become a caricature of itself. Hunter Hess, Amber Glenn, and all those who speak out—they are not betraying America. They are saving it. Because they refuse to submit. They refuse to remain silent. They refuse to turn a blind eye. And that is the only thing that can still save this country. Because when we accept everything, when we swallow everything, when we submit to everything, then there’s nothing left. Nothing left to defend. Nothing left to love. Nothing left to pass on. Just an empty flag. Just a soulless anthem. Just a country that has forgotten what it means to be free. And that is not an option. It’s not a possibility. It’s not a choice. Because when we renounce our values, we renounce ourselves. When we renounce our principles, we renounce our soul. When we renounce our dignity, we renounce our humanity. So yes, it’s difficult. Yes, it’s risky. Yes, it takes courage. But we have no choice. Because otherwise, we will have normalized the unacceptable. We will have accepted the unacceptable. We will have legitimized the unacceptable. And that is not an option. It is not a possibility. It is not a choice. Because when we accept the unacceptable, we become accomplices. Accomplices in the destruction of everything that makes the world still a place worth living in. An accomplice to the triumph of the law of the jungle. An accomplice to the end of the very idea of democracy. And that is not an option. It is not a possibility. It is not a choice. Because when we start accepting everything, we end up losing everything. And that is not an option. It is not a possibility. It is not a choice.

Signed, Jacques Provost