HuffPost ATTACKS Patriotism — Calls It Mental Illness

Waving American flag against a clear blue sky

HuffPost suggested that feeling patriotic while watching American Olympic victories might be a mental health issue requiring therapeutic intervention, sparking furious backlash from conservatives and GOP lawmakers who celebrated Team USA’s gold medal triumphs.

Story Snapshot

HuffPost article framed Olympic patriotism as “cognitive dissonance” requiring therapy due to discomfort with Trump administration policies
GOP lawmakers flooded social media with flag-waving athlete photos after Team USA’s overtime hockey gold victory, directly challenging the narrative
Therapists quoted in the piece suggested Americans cheer individual athletes rather than the nation to avoid political shame
Conservative critics denounced the article as pathologizing patriotism and weaponizing therapy culture against traditional American values

Media Outlet Frames Patriotism as Disorder

HuffPost published and later republished an article titled “There’s A Name For The Discomfort You’re Feeling Watching The Olympics Right Now” during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The piece featured Los Angeles therapist Aimee Monterrosa describing patients experiencing guilt and shame when feeling pride in American athletes’ performances. Monterrosa attributed these feelings to cognitive dissonance stemming from opposition to Trump administration deportation policies and law enforcement actions. Another therapist, Lauren Appio, advised readers to cheer for individual athletes rather than the nation itself to sidestep patriotic discomfort. The article strategically resurfaced just before Team USA’s men’s hockey team defeated Canada in overtime for the gold medal.

If waving the American flag or chanting “USA!” turns you off right now, you're not alone. https://t.co/ndUODJtix4

— HuffPost (@HuffPost) February 21, 2026

Conservative Lawmakers Launch Patriotic Counteroffensive

Republican lawmakers responded forcefully on social media following the hockey victory on February 22. Representative Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin posted an eagle meme declaring “Proud to be an American… USA! USA! USA!” Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma stated that anyone unable to feel excited about gold medal victories “doesn’t have a pulse” and criticized the perpetual victimhood mentality. Representative Randy Fine of Florida issued the bluntest response: “Get the hell out of my country. USA! USA! USA!” Conservative influencers and lawmakers flooded X with images of flag-draped American athletes celebrating victories, creating a viral counter-narrative to HuffPost’s therapeutic framing of patriotic pride as problematic.

Therapy Culture Critique Gains Momentum

Conservative media outlets including Outkick labeled the HuffPost piece the “dumbest media take,” connecting it to broader concerns about therapy culture pathologizing normal disagreement. Critics referenced author Alpert’s analysis that modern therapeutic approaches increasingly disguise political ideology as mental health treatment, replacing genuine resilience-building with fragility for profit. The article cited Trump administration actions involving Alex Pretti and Renee Good as sources of shame, though Outkick disputed HuffPost’s characterization of these individuals as “unarmed civilians.” Olympic skier Hunter Hess was quoted stating the flag doesn’t mean endorsing all U.S. policies, a position conservatives viewed as unnecessarily injecting politics into what should be unifying athletic celebration.

Political Weaponization of Sports Unity

The controversy emerged against a backdrop of declining American pride referenced in Gallup polling and previous media commentary characterizing the United States as a “global sports supervillain.” CNN’s Audie Cornish and Will Leitch discussed anthem booing in Canada and drew parallels to Russia in a January podcast. William & Mary professor Chris Freiman argued the left made a strategic error abandoning patriotism to conservatives. The timing of HuffPost’s republication—immediately before a marquee gold medal game—struck conservatives as deliberately provocative during a moment meant for national celebration. This represents another front in the ongoing cultural battle over whether traditional American patriotism constitutes healthy civic pride or problematic nationalism requiring therapeutic correction and political shame.

Broader Implications for National Unity

The episode deepens partisan divisions over foundational questions about American identity and whether loving one’s country remains acceptable in progressive circles. Conservative critics argue that framing Olympic pride as a mental health issue requiring professional intervention represents an assault on traditional values and national unity. The Olympics historically served as rare bipartisan moments of shared celebration, but increasing politicization threatens this unifying function. Short-term, the controversy energized conservative voters and dominated social media throughout the Games’ conclusion. Long-term, experts warn that treating patriotism as pathology erodes the common civic ground necessary for a functioning republic. The debate highlights how even universally celebrated athletic achievements now become battlegrounds in America’s cultural and political wars.