Eileen Gu is a name many Americans once said with pride. She had it all: born and raised in San Francisco, educated at elite schools, and accepted into Stanford before most kids even start thinking about college. She’s smart, talented, and one of the most gifted skiers in the world. But somewhere along the way, she made a choice—a choice that tells us everything we need to know about where her loyalties lie. And it’s not with the United States.
In 2019, Gu made headlines by announcing she would compete for China in the Olympics, not the country she was born, raised and educated in. She didn’t just switch flags—she turned her back on the very nation that gave her every opportunity to succeed. And while she’s quick to call out problems in America, she stays silent when it comes to the crimes of the Chinese Communist Party.
Let’s be clear. This isn’t just about skiing. This is about loyalty. This is about principle. You can’t take the best this country has to offer, cash in on it with American companies, and then refuse to stand up for the very freedoms that made your success possible.
Gu is the highest paid Winter Olympian in history. She reportedly has already raked in $23 million in the past year, much of it from brand deals tied to her fame in China. She’s got massive followings on both Chinese and American social media. So it’s not hard to figure out why she dodges questions about China’s human rights abuses—she’s protecting her paycheck. But that kind of silence isn’t just cowardly. It’s dangerous.
Eileen Gu is a traitor.
She was born in America, raised in America, lives in America, and chose to compete against her own country for the worst human rights abuser on the planet, China.
She built her fame in a free country, then chose to represent an authoritarian regime while…
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) February 10, 2026
While Americans like Gu are busy talking about “inclusivity” and “safe spaces,” real heroes like Jimmy Lai are rotting in prison for standing up to tyranny. Lai, a journalist in Hong Kong, was sentenced to 20 years for daring to speak out against the Chinese government and for pushing for democracy. That’s what happens in China when you exercise free speech. You disappear. You get silenced. Sometimes for good.
But Gu doesn’t want to talk about that. When asked about China’s treatment of pro-democracy activists, Uyghurs in forced labor camps, or even the disappearance of tennis star Peng Shuai, she clammed up. Her agent ended the interview before those tough questions could even be asked. Her excuse? “There’s no need to be divisive.” That’s not strength. That’s fear wrapped in PR speak.
Yet she has no problem chiming in on American issues. Gu has spoken in defense of Black Lives Matter. She’s gone on record supporting abortion and criticizing the U.S. for not doing enough to protect women’s “choices.” But where is that same energy when it comes to China’s brutal one-child policy? Or its history of forced abortions and sterilizations? That’s not just a double standard—it’s hypocrisy.
She tells stories about feeling unsafe in Walgreens during the pandemic, blaming America for racism and fear. That’s unfortunate, but let’s not pretend she’s some powerless victim. She’s a millionaire with global influence, and she uses that power to criticize the country that raised her, while shielding the one that censors, punishes, and controls its people.
To top it off, she recently said in a podcast that she’s “sad” and “angry” that people have criticized her. She says she wants a debate. Well, here’s a message from veterans like me: You made your choice, Eileen. You can’t play both sides. You don’t get to enjoy the freedom of America while defending a communist regime.
This country is far from perfect—no one’s saying otherwise. But at least here, people have the right to speak, to protest, to live free. In China, you speak out against the regime, and you vanish. If you can’t see the difference, or worse, if you refuse to talk about it, then maybe you never really belonged here in the first place.
Eileen Gu is not a role model. She’s a sellout. And while she may win medals for China, she’s lost something far more valuable—our respect.
