Enes Kanter Freedom calls Elaine Gu a “traitor” for representing Team China

“I’ll just say it, she’s a traitor,” Freedom said. “She was born in America. She grew up in America, she lives in America, and she chose to compete against her country, literally, for the worst.” Human rights violator On planet China. “She built her reputation in a free country, then chose to represent an authoritarian regime.”

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Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China attends the women’s freestyle ski awards ceremony in the big air event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, February 16, 2026. (Hongxiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Gu never spoke out against him China’s alleged human rights violationsincluding the country’s alleged systematic campaign of repression against Uyghurs and other Muslim-majority ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or the imprisonment of politician Jimmy Lai.

“She has chosen to play for a state that is literally responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of its own people, and is running a concentration camp as we speak,” Freedom said. LeBron JamesHe declined a question about China’s alleged human rights violations in 2019.

“It’s like a play,” he said. “Whenever human rights issues are raised about China, they all stop talking about it.”

Gu is the highest paid Winter Olympic athlete In the world, it generated an estimated $23 million in 2025 alone amid partnerships with Chinese companies, including the Bank of China, and Western companies. Gu said she represents China to her mother, who was born there.

Controversial skater Elaine Gu settles for silver after failing to defend gold in Milan

China’s Elaine Gu reacts after the second round of the women’s downhill freestyle skiing final at Livigno Snow Park, during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy on Monday, February 9, 2026. (David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)

the Wall Street Journal It was reported last week that Gu and Zhu Yi, a fellow American-born skater who now competes for China, were paid a total of $6.6 million from the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 for “striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.” In total, the two have reportedly earned nearly $14 million over the past three years.

Gu has been the subject of global criticism since her decision to represent China dating back to the original decision in 2019, and her first Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022. This year, those criticisms have escalated, as she has won two silver medals and even answered a challenge. Question about President Donald Trump US Olympian Hunter Hess criticized for criticizing the current state of America.

“I’m sorry that the headline that dominates the Olympics has to be something that has nothing to do with the spirit of the games. It really goes against everything the Olympics should be,” Joe told reporters on Monday.

“The whole point of sports is to bring people together… one of the very few shared languages, the language of the human body, the language of the human spirit, the competitive spirit, the ability to break not just records, but especially in our sport, literally the human limit. How cool is that?”

Gu also claimed that she was “caught in the crossfire” herself.

“As someone who has been caught in the crossfire before, I feel sorry for that Athletes“I hope they can skate their best,” Gu said.

Vice President J.D. Vance She commented on the controversy surrounding Go in an interview Tuesday on Fox News titled “The Story with Martha MacCallum.”

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Elaine Gu of the People’s Republic of China competes in the second round of the women’s freestyle skiing grand final on day 10 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park on February 16, 2026 in Livigno, Italy. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

“I have no idea what her situation should be, I think it ultimately comes down to it Olympic Games “Committee, I won’t pretend to go into that,” Vance said.

“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States of America and has benefited from our educational system, and the freedoms that make this country a great place, I hope they would want to compete with the United States of America. So, I’m going to go to Root for American athletesI think part of that is people who identify as Americans. “That’s what I’m rooting for at these Olympics.”

Gu won two silver medals in freestyle skiing in Milano-Cortina, in downhill skiing and big air events. She has one final event, the halfpipe, remaining on Saturday, where she has a chance to add to her total.

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