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Opinion American Olympians are supposed to speak their minds Opinions - Civil Rights | 2 minutes ago

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American Olympians are supposed to speak their minds

The comparison between Eileen Gu and Alysa Liu was bound to happen. Two young women at the top of their respective sports, from California, both children of Chinese immigrants, trying to win gold for their respective countries. And that’s where they deviate. Gu, who was born in America, decided to take money from the Chinese government and compete for China. Liu, whose father fled communist China as a refugee, represented the country she was born in.

Both are successful and both are now being used as pawns in the bigger international rivalry between the U.S. and China. “Be an Alysa Liu” and “Liu is greater than Gu” were mentioned all over social media, even by U.S. politicians. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) even threatened Gu for competing for China. “There must be consequences for those who betray the United States and support our adversaries,” was part of his tweet attacking Gu.

Gu took money to the tune of millions to compete for the Chinese. Should that sit well with Americans? No. Is it illegal? Not according to the Olympics.

Does it mean she hates America? That is a stretch, comparable to a speed skater reaching for the finish line. Gu looked at her bank account and made a business decision. Are politicians, pundits and fans allowed to call her out on it? Absolutely. 

There is one catch, though. You can’t make Liu or any other American athlete your pawn and then expect them not to speak out about their identity or their politics.

Liu and fellow American skater Amber Glenn referred to themselves as “woke bitches” and have embraced their diversity as an asset to their skating prowess. Glenn’s outspokenness earned her the animosity of the MAGA movement especially that of Megyn Kelly who seems to think that Americans should stay silent when competing.

The figure skaters weren’t the only ones who ran afoul of the MAGA movement. Hunter Hess drew the ire of the president when he simply stated “there is a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of and I think a lot of people aren’t.” Hess was talking about ICE and their actions around the country. Hess is also very much in line with the majority of Americans and yet was called a “loser” by Trump.

It’s crazy how we want to criticize communist China but seem to hate it when athletes speak their mind as Americans. It is a strange and pathetic ritual that goes back a ways. MAGA influencers, politicians and pundits look for Americans who are different to act differently and then hope and root against said Americans.

Skier Chris Lillis said he was “heartbroken about what is happening in the United States” and was promptly called a “snake” by perennial complainer Matt Walsh. Walsh seems to want to find things to complain about, but he exposes the hypocrisy of the MAGA movement.

You can’t claim to love this country and then get mad when people criticize it. The Olympics and criticism of America go hand in hand. In 1936, we sent Jesse Owens to Berlin to shatter the myth of Aryan supremacy. He won four gold medals and earned the acclaim of millions around the world. He also was treated badly by his and my alma mater, Ohio State, before and after his glorious moment.

Owens kept his mouth shut, despite his feelings on racial bigotry in the U.S. That said, would he have been wrong to call out the U.S. for segregation while in Germany? Would he have been wrong to compare Nazi policies with policies in the American South? Would you have been mad if he did?

In 1968, Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the black power salute upon receiving their medals. The International Olympic Committee was in an uproar and threatened the U.S. track team with expulsion. The U.S. press, much like MAGA influencers today, lost their minds that such behavior could be conducted at such a solemn event. 

Yes, the U.S. was in the middle of social upheaval at the time. Civil rights were being protested and fought for, there was an unwinnable war costing billions in taxes and thousands in lives, and it seemed that everyone wanted to yell and no one wanted to listen. Sound familiar? Smith and Carlos were later awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for their actions.

The Olympics came to a close and the U.S. wrapped up a pretty successful run of things. Our athletes, whether they are political or not, represented our country very well. They tried their hardest and did things that the podcasters and pundits could never do, challenging themselves to do the impossible. Wouldn’t it be nice though if we decided to let them be themselves.

You can only talk about the First Amendment and freedom of speech so much before you realize that U.S. Olympians best represent America when they are able to exercise that right. Maybe that’s the reason why they do so well — they don’t have to worry about speaking their minds.

Jos Joseph is a recipient of the Military Reporters and Editors award for Best Commentary / Opinion. A graduate of Harvard and Ohio State, he is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq. He currently lives in Anaheim, Calif.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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