As the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina have kicked off, a new controversy has emerged, and NFL legend Brett Favre has voiced his opinion on it. It all began when American skier Hunter Hess expressed he had “mixed emotions” about representing the Red, White, and Blue at the global event as protests over immigration enforcement continue in the USA and around the globe.

Sharing his thoughts on the issue, Favre responded to a tweet by his podcast co-host, David Kano, which criticized Hunter Hess’s statement about representing the USA.

“I don’t disagree,” the former Green Bay Packers quarterback wrote on X with three American flag emojis. While the tweet by Kano said, “I was blessed to write 2x Olympian @DanHendo book, who bled red, white, and blue and did everything to make a third Olympic team. Of course, no one is going to agree w/ everything here — but if you don’t want to rep the USA, then give up your spot to someone who does. My mom is an Air Force vet who would’ve died for this country.”

With this response, it appears that Brett Favre isn’t very happy with Hunter Hess, who revealed he was representing his friends and family and “all the things I believe are good about the US” before expressing concern about what’s been happening back home.

“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,” Hess said. “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”

Hunter Hess hails from Oregon and has made the free ski World Cup podium six times and is a two-time X Games medalist. He’s set to compete in the men’s free ski halfpipe race at Livigno Snow Park on Thursday, February 19.

While comments by Hess have raised eyebrows at the ongoing Winter Games, he isn’t the only American athlete at the Olympics who has raised concerns about the immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, which drew widespread outrage. Joining Hess, aerials specialist Chris Lillis also made a poignant statement.

Chris Lillis joins Hunter Hess as controversy ensues at Milan Cortina

Alongside Hunter Hess, Chris Lillis was one of the American athletes to raise their voices against the immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis at the Winter Olympics. The Olympic medalist is part of the aerial skiing contingent, with two-time Olympians Winter Vinecki and Kaila Kuhn leading the pack.

Speaking about what’s happening in the USA, the gold medalist from the Beijing Games revealed he feels the same pull between pride and heartbreak.

“As athletes, we’re proud to represent our country. I love the U.S.A., and I think I would never want to represent a different country in the Olympics,” Lillis said. “With that being said, a lot of times, athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things. I feel heartbroken about what’s happened in the United States. 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.”

As the Milan-Cortina Games continue, the comments from Favre, Hess, and Lillis highlight the ongoing tension between athletic patriotism and personal political views. The athletes will now shift their focus back to competition as events proceed throughout the remainder of the Olympics.