Amber Glenn and Hunter Hess arrived in Milan just like any other athletes, with the ambition to grab a few medals for their team. However, the figure skater and the freestyle skier found themselves at the center of a political firestorm after publicly expressing unease about representing the United States under the tensions back at home involving Donald Trump’s administration. The athletes have received a ton of support from a reputable American journalist.

On a recent episode of The View, co-host Sara Haines provided protection to Glenn, Hess and other American Olympians who were subjected to criticism for their remarks about competing under the stars and stripes.

“I’m proud American. This country is 250 years old. It’s seen some pretty nasty days and it doesn’t change the opportunity it offered to so many people. It is a imperfect work in progress. So nothing about wearing USA on your back says I endorse everything that my government’s doing back home because we are bigger than Donald Trump,” Haines said.

So, the controversy deepened when President Trump labelled Hess as a “real loser” following his statements against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Even Glenn has been frustrated under the current political climate, as the LGBTQ+ community is having a “hard time.”

Haines continued with her perspective, stating, “Donald Trump is here for one minute in my mind. This country predates him and it will date after him. And so I’m not giving away all the many things I am proud of that this country does and what it represents to me. So I hope they stand proud.”

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The ABC host acknowledged the sentiments that the athletes tried to reflect on, rather than focusing on the statements of the online critics. Even the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, for its part, issued a statement condemning the abusive and harmful messages directed at athletes, noting that such attacks have increased over recent Games.

However, both Glenn and Hess have issued further replies in their own way regarding the amount of criticism they received on the internet.

Amber Glenn and Hunter Hess kept their stance strong against the critics

“I was disappointed because I’ve never had so many people wish me harm before, just for being me and speaking about being decent — human rights and decency. So that was really disappointing and I do think it kind of lowered that excitement for this,” a fearless Amber Glenn stated, with an LGBTQ+ pin on her team jacket during the figure skating team medal ceremony.

A few days later, she also showcased those medals with teammate Alysa Liu on social media, noting, “If ‘Woke’ means people who use their platforms to advocate for marginalized communities in the country that they are actively representing……. Then yeah sure?”

For Hunter Hess, his reply to all the online turmoil was something not out of frustration but national pride.

“I love my country US. There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better. One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out,” the freestyle skier shared on his Instagram.

He added, “The best part of the Olympics is that it brings people together, and when so many of us are divided we need that more than ever. I cannot wait to represent Team USA next week when I compete.”

The athletes expressed their sentiments owing to the tensions back home, but they never felt less American while competing for their country.