JD Vance Has Perfect Response To Eileen Gu, American-Born Athlete Competing For China

The 2026 Winter Olympics has become a referendum on what it means to be an American, thanks to California-born and -raised skier Eileen Gu. 

Gu has competed for China since 2019, and represented the country again in the 2026 Winter Olympics. Her decision — and selective mutism when probed on Chinese politics — has earned the ire of many. 

Fox News host Martha MacCallum asked Vice President JD Vance for his thoughts on Gu in a Tuesday interview. 

“Enes Kanter has said she’s a ‘traitor,’ some people have said that this is treasonous, to ski for China, and to overlook Jimmy Lai, and the Uyghurs, and to pretend like those things aren’t problems, are a huge problem. What do you think her status should be, should it be changed?” MacCallum questioned. (RELATED: Legacy Media Forgets To Mention That American-Born Olympian Defected To Compete For China)

“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.

“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 makes 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.”

Vice President JD Vance on US-born Eileen Gu competing for communist China: “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… pic.twitter.com/YXVUgHCrED

— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) February 17, 2026

A rather measured response from Vance, but not an incorrect one. In the hands of the right politician, restraint is a highly effective strategy. 

Gu has reportedly raked in $23 million in the past year in non-skiing endeavors, according to Forbes. In that time, Gu earned another $100,000 in prize money. 

“[T]he vast majority of her income comes from endorsements, including Chinese brands Anta, Bosideng, Mengniu Dairy and Luckin Coffee,” says Forbes.

But Gu refuses the part of the shrewd businesswoman. Instead, she’s framed her decision to ski for China as a moral one. 

“I am proud of my heritage, and equally proud of my American upbringings. The opportunity to help 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. Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help to inspire one young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true,” Gu wrote in a 2019 Instagram post. 

The amount of sympathy and reverence the press give Eileen Gu is insane.

This is no different than had an American defected to compete for the Soviet Union. She’s not a victim. https://t.co/rAZHARCpA0

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) February 11, 2026

Taking the moral high ground here is obnoxious. Doubly obnoxious is Gu’s eagerness to discuss U.S. politics — she’s voiced support for abortion and Black Lives Matter — but refusal to touch Chinese politics. (RELATED: Meet Eileen Gu, The True Villain Of The Winter Olympics) 

When questioned on China’s treatment of their Uyghur population, Gu deflected.

“I’m not an expert on this,” she told Time Magazine’s Sean Gregory in a recent profile. “I haven’t done the research. I don’t think it’s my business. I’m not going to make big claims on my social media.”

Gregory summarizes his response: “But as a Stanford international-relations major, she could surely do her homework on this issue, no?” 

“I’m just more of a skeptic when it comes to data in general,” Gu said. “So it’s not like I can read an article and be like, ‘Oh, well, this must be the truth.’ I need to have a ton of evidence. I need to maybe go to the place, maybe talk to 10 primary-source people who are in a location and have experienced life there. Then I need to go see images. I need to listen to recordings. I need to think about how history affects it. Then I need to read books on how politics affects it. This is a lifelong search.”

Oh, I see. Gu must’ve exercised the same caution in examining claims of systemic racism among America’s police officers. She probably pored over George Floyd’s autopsy, too. And I’m sure she’s visited Planned Parenthood clinics and talked with protesters outside, then asked questions of the clinicians and women inside. 

Gu is less slick than she imagines herself. But in some sense, her dual approach to politics does make her a perfect global citizen. When she’s in America, she’s a smug San Francisco liberal. When she’s in China, she’s a patriotic daughter of the motherland, content to ski and shut up about minorities. 

That’s great and all for Gu. It’s less great for the United States, which gains very little from her presence on its soil, so far as I can tell. 

Follow Natalie Sandoval on X: @NatSandovalDC