America is divided.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To anybody living in this country, that may come as no surprise. However, athletes and fans from other nations competing in the Olympic Games may think otherwise, given the way Americans have rallied to support their athletes both at home and in Milano Cortina.<\/p>\n
2026 has brought nothing but political chaos to Americans. As of Feb. 16, eight people<\/a> have died in altercations involving the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Department of Justice released 3.5 million pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, in which President Donald Trump was mentioned more than 38,000 times<\/a>. Meanwhile, rising living costs have made day-to-day life increasingly difficult for many Americans.<\/p>\n With the Winter Olympics beginning on Feb. 6, many athletes had mixed feelings about representing the stars and stripes while competing.\u00a0<\/p>\n U.S. Olympic skier Hunter Hess said in a press conference that he had \u201cmixed emotions<\/a>\u201d about representing America at the Olympics.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that supported me getting here<\/a>,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trump responded with a post on Truth Social describing the leader as \u201ca real Loser\u201d<\/a> and said that it was \u201cvery hard to root for someone<\/a> like this.\u201d<\/p>\n With all of the chaos surrounding America\u2019s political scene and the large number of people upset with the government, it is surprising to see the amount of support that the U.S. Olympic teams have garnered from citizens who are actively protesting their own government at home.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I’m rooting for America\u2026 that\u2019s my homeland,\u201d said Ryan Belcher \u201827.\u00a0<\/p>\n There is something about the sense of pride one gets from seeing their culture on display for the world. It is one of the few things that everyone in America has in common\u2014they are American.<\/p>\n This sense of pride in rooting for Americans in athletic events is so prominent that Hollywood has been able to capitalize on it. Movies like \u201cMiracle,\u201d \u201cRocky IV\u201d and \u201cD2: The Mighty Ducks\u201d all involve a team or athlete from the U.S. triumphing over athletes from another nation.<\/p>\n Success in athletic events is viewed as a sign of strength. Seeing an American triumph over someone from another nation can symbolize that, as a nation, we are \u201cstronger.\u201d<\/p>\n When athletes compete in the Olympics, they are a symbol of our nation to the whole world. They represent each and every American citizen, whether they do good or bad. When they succeed, everyone in America can feel a piece of the success because it makes them feel like they have won, too.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so, but it definitely is something that crosses my mind,\u201d said Max Rosen \u201827 when asked whether the political turmoil has affected his ability to root for American teams and athletes.\u201cI consider myself a very patriotic person, and I enjoy rooting for Team USA.\u201d<\/p>\n Above all else, we are Americans first. We can disagree, but at the end of the day, the one thing shared is our nationality and a desire to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n Every time an athlete donning the stars and stripes takes home a gold medal, it gives the average American a renewed sense of pride. It is one of the few times that everyone in the country can feel the same emotion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"America is divided.\u00a0 To anybody living in this country, that may come as no surprise. 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