So many truly loyal Americans have devoted their lives to becoming world-class athletes and representing America in the Olympics, many of them are either immigrants or from immigrant families and like so many millions of other Americans they take great offense to Trump's constant lambasting of anyone who's not white and an imaginary blue blood.

His obsession with immigration is disgusting and it is so un-American.

As much as he wants it, let’s not let Trump make it about Trump. Let’s not dwell on the fact that Kash Patel weaseled his way into the men’s locker room to waterboard himself shotgunning beers rather than find time to release the Epstein files.

Let’s ignore the fact that J.D. Vance was brutally mocked by the entire world at the opening ceremony.

Let’s look at how every single U.S. Olympic athlete represented America on the world stage, rehabbing our image and reforging the international ties Trump has managed to torch for the last year. And they did it backwards, in skates.

The story of the Olympics should be the athletes who had the heart and skill to perform— and the class to better represent a country that is ill represented by the current government.

Let’s stop and appreciate the fact that so many U.S. medalists are immigrants, or the children of immigrants.

Snowboarder Chloe Kim, whose parents are Korean immigrants, took home silver.

The “Quad God” and gold medal figure skater, Ilia Malinin’s parents are both from Uzbekistan.

Arguably the biggest star of the Olympics was Alyssa Liu, the gold medalist in figure skating. Her father came to the U.S. as a political refugee for protesting the Chinese government after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.

Almost 17% of this year’s US Olympic athletes have immigrant ties - either born abroad, the children of immigrant parents, or second generation immigrants.

Trump put Team USA in an impossible position, forcing them to reconcile their patriotism with the administration’s horrific behavior at home and abroad. Athletes faced awkward questions at press conferences, and they handled them with aplomb.

Freeskier Hunter Hess said at a press conference, about representing America in light of the ICE raids: “if it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.” Little Donnie attacked him for it, calling him a loser.

Figure skater Amber Glenn took heat online for highlighting attacks on the queer community.

By declining the State of the Union visit, the US Women’s Hockey Team refused to capitulate and endorse the party line. They exercised their first amendment right to speak up and speak out against the administration’s horrific human rights violations, embarrassing behavior on the world stage, and complete disregard for freedom and democracy. Their polite “no thank you” says more than any corporation, or tech billionaire, or media company is willing to say.

Indeed, amid the daily barrage of cowardice, it’s those who stood up who will be remembered for meeting the moment. It’s Jimmy Kimmel fighting back. It’s Perkins Coie fighting back. And now, it’s the American women’s gold medal winning hockey team that decided their own dignity was worth more than a fleeting moment of proximity to power.

Kudos to these true heroes and shame on Trump for attempting to embarrass them for speaking truth to hugely toxic and corrupt power.

https://plus.briantylercohen.com/p/puck-you-womens-hockey-team-snubs

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Kudos to these true heroes and shame on Trump for attempting to embarrass them for speaking truth to hugely toxic and corrupt power.

The little I watched of the video ( I have the full transcript) and his one hour 47 minute "off the cuff" remarks it reminded me of the Jerry Lewis telethon:

4 hours ago, JerryM said:

The little I watched of the video ( I have the full transcript) and his one hour 47 minute "off the cuff" remarks it reminded me of the Jerry Lewis telethon:

The biggest difference was that Jerry was trying to do something that benefited humanity, whereas Trump is doing nothing but tearing down civilization.

2 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

The biggest difference was that Jerry was trying to do something that benefited humanity, whereas Trump is doing nothing but tearing down civilization.

Only by virtue of the schlock.

11 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

So many truly loyal Americans have devoted their lives to becoming world-class athletes and representing America in the Olympics, many of them are either immigrants or from immigrant families and like so many millions of other Americans they take great offense to Trump's constant lambasting of anyone who's not white and an imaginary blue blood.

His obsession with immigration is disgusting and it is so un-American.

I think you have to understand his father's role as a notorious white supremacist and Klu Klux Klansman, and of course appreciate that the apple does not fall far from the tree; he is an unashamed racist, and it is very much part of his support base.

Also, of course, two of the three medal winners you named are female (and gorgeous, although that is not relevant, and I did enjoy googling them!) Such successful and determined high achieving young women who don't idolise the Donald are toxic in his world, and the society he seeks to shape.

The US men's hockey team were treated to McD (no joke!) and a whiff of Trump's diaper contents in the WH while hobnobbing with half the people named in the Epstein files.

The US women's hockey team were invited to Stanley Tucci's favourite restaurant in Milan.

Poor guys!🤣