JD Vance Comments on Eileen Gu Add Fuel to Ongoing Winter Olympic Drama

Vice President JD Vance is not known to mince words, even when his comments land him in hot water. During the 2026 Winter Olympics, he aimed his criticism at Eileen Gu, the U.S.-born freestyle skiing star who competes for China.

Eileen is not just an Olympic athlete; she has dominated the World Cup circuit for years. She has 20 career World Cup victories, including four in slopestyle, according to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). The federation’s official results page also reflects her 2026 Olympic silver medals in slopestyle and big air.

However, the vice president is not happy with Eileen’s choice to compete for China, and he’s making his feelings clear.

Vance addressed Eileen during a Fox News interview on The Story With Martha MacCallum, saying he wouldn’t try to decide her official status.

“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,” Vance said. He also added that, in his view, an athlete who grew up in the U.S. should compete for the U.S.

“I certainly think that someone 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. So, I'm going to root for American athletes. I think part of that is people who identify themselves as Americans. That's who I'm rooting for in this Olympics.”

Vance didn’t bring Eileen up out of nowhere. He responded to a question about her decision to represent China. She won silver in slopestyle and silver in big air at Milano Cortina, giving her five Olympic medals across two Games — the most by any woman in Olympic freestyle skiing history, according to Reuters.

Eileen was born and raised in San Francisco, with a mother from China and a father from the United States, according to NBC Olympics. She started skiing at age 3 and rose through U.S. competitions before switching to compete for China in 2019.

Relations between the U.S. and China were already strained, and Eileen’s decision came in the middle of ongoing tensions. China does not recognize dual citizenship, and Eileen has never publicly detailed her citizenship status in a way that satisfies all of her critics. Eileen also said the backlash went far beyond social media debates. In an interview with The Athletic, she revealed that she received threats and harassment over her choice.

“I’ve had death threats,” she said. “I’ve had my dorm robbed. I’ve gone through some things as a 22-year-old that I really think no one should ever have to endure, ever.”