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Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom condemned American-born Team China Olympic skier Eileen Gu during an interview on Pakinomist’ “Ingraham Angle” on Tuesday.
“I’m just gonna say it, she’s a traitor,” Freedom said. “She was born in America. She was raised in America, lives in America and chooses to compete against her own country for, literally, the worst human rights abuser on the planet, China. She built her fame in a free country, then chooses to represent an authoritarian regime.”
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Silver medalist Eileen Gu of China attends the freestyle skiing prize ceremony for the women’s freeski big air event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, on February 16, 2026. (Hongxiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Gu has never publicly spoken out against it China’s alleged human rights abusesincluding the nation’s alleged systematic campaign of repression against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or the imprisonment of politician Jimmy Lai.
“She chose to play for a country that is literally responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of its own people and is literally running a concentration camp as we speak,” Freedom said, comparing Gus’ silence on the issue to LeBron James’ rejection of a question about China’s alleged human rights abuses in 2019.
“It’s like a play,” he said. “When the human rights issues are raised about China, they all stop talking about it.”
Gu is the highest-paid Winter Olympic athlete in the world, earning an estimated $23 million in 2025 alone amid partnerships with Chinese companies, including the Bank of China, and Western firms. Gu has said she represents China for her mother, who was born there.
CONTROVERSIAL SKIER EILEEN GU TAKES SILVER AFTER DEFENSE OF GOLD MEDAL BID FALLS SHORT IN MILAN
China’s Eileen Gu reacts after the second race of the Freestyle Skiing, Women’s Freeski Slopestyle Final at Livigno Snow Park, during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (David Davies/PA Photos via Getty Images)
The The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Gu and Zhu Yi, another American-born figure skater now competing for China, were paid $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 to “strive for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.” In total, the two were reportedly paid nearly $14 million over the past three years.
Gu has been the subject of global criticism since her decision to represent China dates back to the original decision in 2019 and her first Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022. This year, criticism has increased as she has won two silver medals and even responded to a question about President Donald Trump criticizing US Olympian Hunter Hess for being critical of the current state of America.
“I’m sad that the headline overshadowing the Olympics has to be something so unrelated to the spirit of the Games. It’s really contrary to everything the Olympics should be,” Gu told reporters on Monday.
“The whole point of sports is to bring people together. … One of the very few common languages, the human body, the human spirit, the competitive spirit, the ability to break not only records, but especially in our sport, literally the human limit. How wonderful is that?”
Gu also claimed that she herself had been “caught in the crossfire”.
“As someone who has been caught in the crossfire before, I feel sorry for the athletes,” Gu said. “I hope they can ski to their very best.”
Vice President JD Vance weighed in on the controversy surrounding Gu in a Tuesday interview on Pakinomist’ “The Story With Martha MacCallum.”
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Diseases Eileen Gu of Team People’s Republic of China competes in the second leg of the Women’s Freeski Big Air Final on day ten of the Milano 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 status is going to be, I think ultimately it’s up to BEER Committee, I’m not going to pretend to go into that,” Vance said.
“I certainly think that someone who grew up in the United States and who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I hope they will compete with the United States. So I will root for American athletesI think part of it is people identifying themselves as Americans. That’s who I’m going for in this Olympics.”
Gu has won two silver medals in freestyle skiing in Milano Cortina, in slopestyle and big air events. She has one final event, the halfpipe, left on Saturday where she has a chance to add to her total.
