Add Simone Biles to the list of women whom JD Vance has criticized.
Disparaging comments the VP contender made about Biles in 2021 resurfaced this week, just as the iconic gymnast was capturing her second gold medal in the all-around.
With her triumph, Biles became only the third woman to win the title multiple times, adding to her record-setting medal total. Earlier in the week, she and the women’s gymnastic team also won gold in the team final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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Biles’ two gold medal wins cap off an incredible three years, in which she thought she would never compete again. She withdrew from the Tokyo Games due to mental health issues, and was open about her struggles.
For most, Biles’ candor was inspiring, and the ultimate sign of strength. She walked away from competitive gymnastics for two years before returning to the mat in 2023.
“I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being,” she said at the time, per CNN. “It just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head.”
Vance, however, wasn’t moved. The Hillbilly Elegy author questioned the support she was receiving in a 2021 interview with Fox News.
“What I find so weird about this, and it reflects on the media more than it does on Simone Biles, is that we’ve tried to turn a very tragic moment—Simone Biles quitting the Olympic team—into this act of heroism,” he said at the time.
“And 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,” he continued.
Vance’s cruel comments were first uncovered by American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic super PAC. The video has been viewed millions of times.
— American Bridge 21st Century (@American_Bridge) July 30, 2024WATCH: JD Vance go after GOAT Simone Biles after she withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo #Olympics
"I think it reflects pretty poorly on our sort of therapeutic society that we try to praise people, not for moments of strength… but for their weakest moments." pic.twitter.com/xLVBer5Tyj
Would love to see JD Vance attempt a simple somersault https://t.co/R96oNa4gbe
— aleyna (@aleyna_rentz) August 2, 2024
Vance was far from the only right-winger to disparage Biles, one of the greatest athletes in U.S. history. They belittled her, and mental health advocacy in general.
“The blue checks have already rallied to Simone Biles’s defense and said, ‘Oh, it’s so brave.’ Why is this brave? What’s brave about not being brave?,” said hom*ophobic sportswriter Clay Travis.
“She’s a total sociopath,” added Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, deploying the same adjective that Vance uses to describe women without children.
While Vance was just one part of a bigoted right-wing chorus, he’s currently the only member running for vice president. As a result, his past creepy and weird remarks about women of all stripes are coming to light.
Perhaps most regretfully, Vance attacked Harris as a “childless cat lady.”
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JD Vance’s uncovered blogs show he’s even weirder than we thought…
All the while, Vance is trying to clean up his boss’ own vile remarks about Harris. During a combative interview Wednesday at the annual National Association of Black Journalists Convention, the 78-year-old Trump accused Harris of changing her race.
The line didn’t land with, well,anyone. But the blowback hasn’t stopped Trump from doubling down on his racism. On his social media platform Thursday, Trumppostedabout Harris’ “Indian heritage” and accused her of using her racial identity to appeal to voters.
Harris, to her credit, didn’t take Trump’s bait. She told a crowd in Houston on Wednesday evening that America “deserves better” (we do)!
Vice President Harris: This afternoon, Donald Trump spoke at the annual meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists and it was the same old show. The divisiveness and the disrespect. The American people deserve better. The American people deserve a leader who tells… pic.twitter.com/3LLTGv4FU7
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 1, 2024
Stuck defending the indefensible, Vance tried to twist Trump’s racist words into a cogent critique. We don’t even think Biles could pull off these mental gymnastics…
“Look, all [Trump] said was Kamala Harris is a chameleon. She goes to Georgia two days ago. She was raised in Canada, she puts on a fake Southern accent,” Vance told CNN. “She is everything to everybody, and pretends to be somebody different depending on which audience she’s in front of. I think it’s totally reasonable for the president to call that out.”
The GOP’s relentless barrage of racist and sexist attacks on Harris are backfiring, with the vice president raising tons of money and usurping Trump in the polls. Her campaign says it brought in more than $300 million in July, even though she didn’t start running until July 21!
Swing state polls show the race tightening to a dead heat; and nationally, Harris is on top. The latest Rasmussen Poll, which is usually right-leaning, has her up 5% nationwide.
Wow! The latest Rasmussen poll — which tends to overestimate the success of Republican candidates — shows Kamala Harris trouncing Trump nationally. 👇 pic.twitter.com/48uly9F298
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) August 2, 2024
As the GOP squirms, both Harris and Biles are going for gold. On Friday, Biles jabbed Trump, who recently remarked that immigrants were taking “Black jobs.”
“I love my black job,” Biles posted, complete with a heart emoji.
Add another win to her ever-growing tally!
Related*
Kamala Harris is the only candidate in this race with stamina.
I love my black job 🖤 https://t.co/c5wPc6xOY3
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 2, 2024
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