On Friday, Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA) doubled down on telling U.S. athletes that they should not “speak out” against communist China during the Winter Olympics which comes as she faces backlash for making the same plea on Thursday during a congressional hearing.
“As I say, as I wish the athletes well, I do not encourage them to speak out against the Chinese government there because I fear for their safety if they do,” Pelosi said in-part.
Nancy Pelosi doubles down on telling U.S. athletes not to “speak out” against the Chinese Communist government during the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/cETMl9N2VO
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 4, 2022
Pelosi’s remarks come after she said during testimony before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China that athletes were “there to compete.”
“Do not risk incurring the anger of the Chinese government because they are ruthless,” Pelosi said. “I know there is a temptation on the part of some to speak out while they are there, I respect that. But, I also worry about what the Chinese government might do to their reputations, to their families.”
Bloomberg News reported:
The commission’s hearing on the eve of opening ceremonies for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing was organized as a platform for Pelosi and several activists to highlight China’s human rights record, including reports of forced labor and acts of genocide against the Uyghur ethnic community in the Xinjiang region as well as suppression of democratic protests in Hong Kong and religious repression of Tibet’s Buddhists.
Pelosi faced widespread backlash over her comments yesterday, including some of the following notable responses:
- Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX): “Brave Americans should be supported—not silenced—in standing up to communist China. The Olympics should never have been held in a country committing active genocide in the first place.”
- Stephen L. Miller, political commentator: “She’s a national embarrassment.”
- House Energy & Commerce Committee Republicans: “Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats have shown us time and time again they are not willing to be tough on China. This just the latest proof. China must be held accountable for its human rights abuses.”
- Matt Whitaker, former Acting U.S. Attorney General: “Imagine Washington, Madison, Lincoln or Jefferson saying this. They would not have, of course. We must always speak out against evil.”
- Richard Grenell, former Acting Director of National Intelligence: “Good God above, Nancy! Why are you backing down from Chinese threats? They see you. You just encouraged them…they’ve scared you into submission. This is so outrageous.”
- Ben Shapiro, The Daily Wire: “This is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the third in line to the presidency, telling American athletes to shut up and dribble in China…after kneeling in the Capitol dome herself to protest supposed systemic American racism.”
- Sean Spicer, former White House spokesman: “The leader of the Democrats in House tells US athletes NOT to speak out about Communist China and it’s human rights abuses – this is sad and pathetic.”
- Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL): “The U.S. should be BACKING UP athletes using their freedom of self-expression to expose the Beijing communists for the murderers they are, NOT telling them to hide. Americans down cower to communists. We defeat them.”
- Nile Gardiner, former aide to Margaret Thatcher: “This is a disgrace. The United States is the world’s superpower. It should never kowtow to the Chinese Communist Party.”
- Rebeccah Heinrichs, Hudson Institute: “Pelosi is telling American Olympic athletes not to say anything the Chinese Communists doesn’t want them to. This is a statement on how foolish it is to have the Olympics there and how weak our leaders are.”
- Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK): “Americans fight for freedom and defend the voiceless – if our athletes can’t display those American values while representing @TeamUSA in the Olympics, why are we there at all?”
- Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA): “This is despicable. We cannot allow the #CCP to walk all over us. It is unacceptable that we’ve put our athletes in this position.”
- Rep. Scott Austin (R-GA): “Outrageous that the Speaker finds it necessary to ask American athletes not to acknowledge the CCP’s mass genocide of the Uyghur Muslims and their use of slave labor.”