Fox News Star Sparks Olympics Controversy Over U.S.-Born Skier Branded a ‘Traitor’ After Competing for China

US-born freestyle skier Eileen Gu has received polarized reactions for deciding to represent China at the 2026 Winter Olympics. While some have called the move a personal choice, others have labeled the athlete a ‘traitor.’

Vice President JD Vance has now joined the debate. Vance recently appeared in an interview with Fox News, where anchor Martha MacCallum asked him whether Gu’s ‘status’ should be reconsidered because she is representing a country with strained relations with the United States.

Vance replied that her status should be decided by the Olympic Committee and that he has no say in it. However, he said any athlete who has benefited from the U.S. resources should not choose to represent another country.

The vice president said, “Well, look, I have no idea what her status should be. I think that’s ultimately up to the Olympics Committee; I won’t pretend to wade into that. I certainly think that somebody who grew up in the United States of America, who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I would hope they want to compete with the United States of America.”

The 41-year-old said he will be rooting for American athletes at the games. Gu has faced widespread backlash for representing China at both the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics. The skier was born in San Francisco, California, to a first-generation Chinese immigrant mother. She later attended Stanford University.

While Gu represented the United States in global events in the early phase of her career, she later chose to compete for China. The athlete explained her decision in a social media post during the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. She disclosed that she wanted to inspire young girls in China and honor her mother’s heritage.

At the time, Gu wrote on Instagram, “The opportunity to inspire millions of young people where my mom was born, during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love.”

She echoed similar thoughts ahead of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and said she chose China over the United States because the United States already has strong representation in skiing. “The US already has the representation. I like building my own pond,” Gu said in an interview with Time Magazine.

Meanwhile, criticism continues on social media, and some public figures, including former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, have criticized her. However, the controversy has not affected Gu’s performance. She won two silver medals at Milan Cortina, finishing second in both Big Air and Slopestyle.

During the previous edition of the games, she made history as the first freestyle skier to win three medals, including gold medals in Big Air and Halfpipe, and a silver medal in Slopestyle. Her success has earned her sponsorships from Chinese brands, and she is now the fourth-highest-paid female athlete in the world, with reported earnings of $23.1 million in 2025.