American Olympic skier Hunter Hess 'cannot wait to represent Team USA' after Trump backlash

"I love my country," he wrote with an American flag emoji. "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 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."

Those incidents were apparently used as the catalyst for the comments from Hess and his teammate Chris Lillis. Hess said he had "mixed emotions" about representing the U.S.

"It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. 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.

"I think, for me, it's more I'm representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I'm representing it. Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S.

"I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here."

Trump ripped Hess for the comments, calling him a "real loser."