Gay Olympian takes startling cheap shot at Ivanka Trump
The 2018 Winter Olympics have hardly been without controversy.
If it’s not doping scandals, it’s the mere presence of North Korea amid escalating international tensions.
But perhaps no controversy seems more petty than the one between several prominent gay American Olympians and the United States government.
It’s been a decidedly one-sided controversy.
Figure skater Adam Rippon has made it a point to skewer Vice President Mike Pence at every opportunity he’s had, even going so far as to question Pence’s faith.
“To stand by some of the things that Donald Trump has said and for Mike Pence to say he’s a devout Christian man is completely contradictory,” Rippon said in an interview with USA Today.
Rippon, who is openly gay, has also stood firmly by the narrative that Pence is anti-gay.
“If he’s OK with what’s being said about people and Americans and foreigners and about different countries that are being called ‘s—holes,’ I think he should really go to church,” Rippon added.
American skier Gus Kenworthy, who is also openly gay, has joined in on the Pence bashing, again, pushing the narrative that the vice president is anti-gay.
“Eat your heart out, Pence,” Kenworthy posted on his Instagram account earlier this month, alongside the hashtag “TeamUSGay.”
Of note, Pence has never singled out any Olympians, let alone on the basis of their sexuality. But at the very least, even if the ire is misplaced, there’s some semblance of logic in criticizing an elected official. Kenworthy, however, flew out of left field with an abrupt shot at the first daughter when Team USA should’ve been celebrating the closing ceremonies to the Winter Olympics.
“So proud of all these people!” Kenworthy wrote on Twitter. “Everybody here has worked so hard to make it to the Olympics and have the opportunity to walk in the closing ceremony!”
It would’ve been fine had Kenworthy simply stopped typing there, but he proceeded to attack Ivanka Trump.
“Well… Everyone except Ivanka. Honestly, (the f—) is she doing here?” Kenworthy wrote.
For the record, Trump was chosen by her father to help represent the U.S. delegation, much like Pence had done for the opening ceremonies. But more importantly, it’s worth asking what Kenworthy was trying to accomplish with his tweet.
It’s just another in a long line of petty and unnecessary cheap shot that simply isn’t a good look for America or its Olympians.
Kenworthy failed to medal in his events, primarily due to a broken thumb and other ailments. Rippon won a bronze medal.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
