Ed. notice: Welcome to our every day characteristic, Quote of the Day.
My recommendation to them can be to attempt to convey the nation collectively, and while you’re representing the nation, you’re representing Democrats and Republicans. You’re there to play a sport, and also you’re there to signify your nation and hopefully win a medal. You’re not there to pop off about politics.
When Olympic athletes enter the political space, they need to count on some pushback. However most Olympic athletes, no matter their politics, are doing a fantastic job, and definitely benefit from the help of your entire nation, and I believe acknowledge that the way in which to convey the nation collectively is to not present up in another country and assault the president of the USA, however to play your sport and signify the nation properly.
— Vice President JD Vance, in feedback famous by USA Today, regarding Olympic athletes who’re talking out about U.S. politics whereas on the Olympics in Italy. Vance was defending President Donald Trump’s criticism of freestyle halfpipe skier Hunter Hess, who mentioned he had “mixed emotions” about representing the U.S. “proper now,” and that “[w]earing the flag doesn’t imply I signify all the pieces that’s happening within the U.S.” Trump went on to name Hess a “an actual Loser,” which prompted Hess to respond, “I really like my nation… however there are at all times issues that might be higher. One of many many issues that makes this nation so wonderful is that we’ve got the proper and the liberty to level that out.” Relatedly, Rich Ruohonen, a Minnesota lawyer on the curling staff, just lately went on to confer with the surprising killings of U.S. citizens by ICE agents as “wrong” throughout a press briefing.
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Regulation, the place she’s labored since 2011. She’d love to listen to from you, so please be happy to email her with any ideas, questions, feedback, or critiques. You possibly can observe her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or join along with her on LinkedIn.
