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What Did JD Vance Say About Simone Biles? All You Need to Know about ‘Weakest Moment’ Comment
Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance’s old remark on Simone Biles seems to have backfired for him after Biles’ Paris 2024 performance.
Senator JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican vice presidential nominee, is facing public scrutiny for claiming that American gymnast Simone Biles, who won another Olympic all-around gold medal on Thursday, demonstrated weakness when she withdrew from the previous Games due to a mental health issue.
During an appearance on Fox News in 2021, Mr. Vance had questioned why Ms. Biles was being praised for withdrawing from the 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, not for moments of heroism, but for their weakest moments," Mr. Vance, who was running for Senate at the time, stated.
Democratic operatives were eager to draw attention to the statements now that Mr. Vance and Ms. Biles were back in the limelight. On Thursday, Aida Ross, a Democratic National Committee spokeswoman, stated that Mr. Vance was in "no position to be talking about anyone's else's 'weakest moments.'"
“While the rest of the country is celebrating the U.S.A. women’s gymnastics team’s performance at the Olympics, JD Vance is facing his weakest moment amid a gaffe-filled rollout that has left him as the most unpopular V.P. pick in decades,” she said.
American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic super PAC that performs research and tracking on Republican candidates, shared a video of Mr. Vance's statements on X. In it, Mr. Vance claims that the public's empathy for Ms. Biles, who is now 27, exemplified what was wrong with the country.
“But instead, what our press has done, I think, has turned this into this weird therapeutic moment,” he said.
His comments resurfaced online while Biles competed in the individual all-around final in Paris, and added another one to her medal tally. She is now the third woman to win a second all-around championship in the Olympics, having won the first in 2016.
In 2021, Simone decided to withdraw from the tournament, sparking a nationwide discourse about mental health. It earned her both acclaim for putting her well-being first and criticism from others who labeled her a quitter.
"We've tried to turn a very tragic moment, Simone Biles quitting the Olympic team, into this act of heroism," Mr. Vance had remarked earlier in the same Fox broadcast.
Some of Mr. Vance's previous statements and criticism of women have also come under fire since former President Donald J. Trump chose him as his running mate on July 15.
During a subsequent interview on Fox News in 2021, he had claimed that the country was led by "childless cat ladies," including Vice President Kamala Harris. Those remarks sparked a bipartisan response and sparked a debate between Mr. Vance and actress Jennifer Aniston, who has spoken openly about her issues with having a child.
Also Read: When Simone Biles ‘Broke Down’ After NFL Husband Jonathan Owens’ Interview Went Viral
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