As a rule, American politicians tend to root for American athletes at the Olympics. It’s a rule Donald Trump hasn’t always followed.
Exactly three years ago this week, for example, the former president lashed out at the U.S. women’s soccer team after they “only” won Bronze medals. “If our soccer team, headed by a radical group of Leftist Maniacs, wasn’t woke, they would have won the Gold Medal instead of the Bronze,” the Republican declared in a written statement. “Woke means you lose, everything that is woke goes bad, and our soccer team certainly has.”
Trump added that he wanted to see “Patriots” replace “the wokesters” in future games, suggesting Americans should root not for their country’s athletes, but rather, for conservatives and against liberals.
But as it turns out, sometimes Trump sends barbed messages to Olympians, while other times Olympians send barbed messages to Trump. NBC News reported:
Simone Biles loves her “black job.” The Olympic gymnast, who won two gold medals in Paris making her the most decorated U.S. gymnast, took a swipe at former President Donald Trump in a post Friday on X. The 27-year-old shared a post from singer Ricky Davila who celebrated Biles as she posed for photos clutching her medal and a “Goat” necklace.
“Simone Biles being the GOAT, winning Gold medals and dominating gymnastics is her black job,” Davila wrote. “I love my black job,” Biles responded, adding a black heart emoji.
To be sure, the gold medalist did not specifically reference the GOP candidate online, but the “black job” reference was hardly subtle. Trump is, after all, responsible for pushing the phrase into the political lexicon: The former president first used the line during a debate in late June, and he elaborated on this at a National Association of Black Journalists conference this week.
It’s tempting to think Trump’s running mate might want to come to his rescue in this instance, but given his own rhetorical history, I think Sen. JD Vance probably ought to sit this one out. The New York Times reported:
Senator JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, is drawing renewed scrutiny over his past remarks that the American gymnast Simone Biles, who won another Olympic all-around gold medal on Thursday, showed weakness when she withdrew from the previous Games because of a mental health issue. Mr. Vance, during an appearance on Fox News in 2021, questioned why Ms. Biles was receiving acclaim for stepping away from the competition at the Tokyo games.
“I think it reflects pretty poorly on our sort of therapeutic society that we try to praise people, not for moments of strength, not for moments of heroism, but for their weakest moments,” Vance said at the time.
If the Republicans’ 2024 ticket is smart, Trump and Vance will let Biles’ latest comments go without notice. If recent history is any guide, however, the former president seems likely to start another feud. Watch this space.
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