US conservatives are criticising their own athletes who are competing in the Tokyo Olympic games.
Writing on social media and appearing on broadcast, various conservatives are revealing themselves to not be as patriotic as they may like to self-define, as they slam their athletes for their political views and behaviour.
Newsmax host Grant Stinchfield, for instance, said:
Newsmax host: "It's not often that I'm happy a USA team loses in the Olympics... I found myself rooting against not just Megan Rapino and her merry band of America-hating female soccer players...but I took pleasure in the men’s basketball Team USA's first team loss since 2004." pic.twitter.com/2UqKs9hwOz
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) July 27, 2021
“I took pleasure in the men’s basketball Team USA’s first team loss since 2004.”
He said that they were “whiny overpaid social justice warriors”, making them “very hard to root for”.
Meanwhile, also on Newsmax, Alex Clark, the spokesperson for right-wing group Turning Point USA, claimed people weren’t watching the Olympics because of teams who take the knee.
She said: “Olympic ratings are at a record low and that’s because the American people don’t want to root for anyone who doesn’t even love America!”
Speaking about the American football team Fox News host Laura Ingraham also said: “What was their greatest achievement on the field, kneeling or looking angry?”
And Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk called gymnast Simone Biles a “selfish sociopath” and a “shame to the country” after she withdrew from the women’s all-around final for mental health reasons.
“We are raising a generation of weak people like Simone Biles,” he said.
We could go on.
Reacting to their various outbursts, people questioned the pundits motives and criticised them:
there is no one more mentally tough than SIMONE BILES
— Luke Zaleski (@ZaleskiLuke) July 28, 2021
remember that next time you're the greatest gymnast in history standing on a four inch wide beam doing triple flips and trying not to literally break your neck while the entire world is watching and you're a kid and nail it
Why can’t these young people just be celebrated for their hard work and talent? There is nothing political about it. Why would a fully functioning adult go out of his way to disrespect these athletes?
— nancy howard (@tweeterhangover) July 27, 2021
The “I love America” Patriots seem to not really love America
— TWalsh (@hogan_1969) July 27, 2021
From the mouths of the “real patriots”…
— MindyLouAgain (@momahsoka) July 27, 2021
We’d like to see them try and compete in an international tournament.
