President Donald Trump hosted dozens of U.S. Winter Olympians and Paralympians at the White House on Thursday, but snowboarder Hunter Hess, whom the president had previously labeled a "real loser," did not attend the reception.
Nearly half of the Team USA athletes who competed in the recent Games in Italy were present, along with coaches and staff, according to the White House. Hess, a 27-year-old who finished 10th in the halfpipe, had previously expressed "mixed feelings" about representing the United States and objected to certain political trends.
In response to Hess's comments, Trump and his supporters had urged the athlete to leave the U.S. Hess has since embraced the "real loser" moniker, using it to launch a clothing brand that supports an organization providing action sports equipment to young athletes.
Among the attendees was speed skater Jordan Stolz, whom Trump praised as the most decorated American Olympian of the 2026 Games, remarking on his "very strong legs." Stolz had previously placed a gold medal around Trump's neck during a rally in Wisconsin.
"Today, we're truly honored to welcome to the White House perhaps the greatest group of Winter Olympians in American history," Trump told the athletes gathered in the East Room. He presented them with a Team USA jacket and sneakers, and offered a tour of the Oval Office.
Trump noted that 300 U.S. athletes participated in this year's Winter Olympics and Paralympics, collectively winning 57 medals. The event, initially planned for an outdoor space, was moved indoors due to heavy rain.
"These men and women sacrificed years of their lives and countless early mornings to be the best in the world," Trump said, drawing parallels to his own early mornings. He also acknowledged the upcoming 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
The U.S. men's Olympic hockey team visited the White House in February. While members of the gold-medal-winning U.S. women's hockey team had declined a previous invitation to a State of the Union address due to scheduling conflicts, two of its members, Abbey Murphy and Joy Dunne, attended Thursday's event and received mentions from Trump. He also spoke about the men's team, though its members were not present.
Ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik had indicated in a social media video that they did not wish to attend the White House event.
During his remarks, Trump briefly touched on sports policy, stating, "We've done a lot to help save women's sports," and called for congressional action to overhaul sports governance, promising to sign any legislation passed. He also asserted that the administration is "doing everything we can to protect the cherished sporting traditions that have long been part of our nation from the beginning."