(NEXSTAR) -- Several American Olympians have been pressed for comment on the political situation back home during their press briefings in Italy. When you get to the Olympic stage, athletes are paraded in front of reporters and given a voice. How they choose to use it is up to them. "It brings up mixed emotions to represent the US right now," Team USA skier Hunter Hess said. "There's obviously a lot going on that I'm not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren't." Not long after that, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social and called Hess a loser. He also said, quote, he shouldn't have tried out for the team and it's too bad he's on it. But athletes have been paying a price for speaking out long before Hess. Perhaps the most famous protest came at the 1968 games in Mexico City. Tommy Smith and John Carlos raised gloved fists on the medal stand in salute of human rights. Smith and Carlos were suspended and banned from the Olympic Village and their lives were thrown into chaos. In Italy, the questions continue. For some athletes, like snowboarder Chloe Kim, these issues hit close to home. "The U.S. has given my family and I so much opportunity, but I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions on what's going on and I think that we need to lead with love and compassion," Kim said. On Tuesday, Rich Ruohonen, skip for the United States Men's Curling Team, made some of the most direct comments to date about the immigration crackdown in his home state of Minnesota. "First of all, I'd like to say I'm proud to be here to represent Team USA and to represent our country," Ruohonen said. "But we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention what's going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it's been for everybody. This stuff is happening right around where we live." Ruohonen is a practicing personal injury attorney in Minnesota. In his response, he referenced the constitution's role in keeping Americans safe, and said, "it's clear" that what is happening in his home state is wrong. "There's no shades of gray," Ruohonen said. The 54-year-old Olympian also showed support for his fellow Minnesotans actions towards others while ICE has been present in the Twin Cities. "I really love what's been happening there now with people coming out, showing the love, the compassion, integrity and respect for others that they don't know and helping them out," Ruohonen said. "And we love Minnesota for that." And while Ruohonen competes with Team USA in Italy, he is also representing respect. "What the Olympics means is excellence, respect, friendship. And we are playing for the people of Minnesota and the people around the country who share those same values, that compassion, that love, and that respect," Ruohonen said.