House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is facing criticism after she warned U.S. athletes attending the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, against speaking out against human rights abuses in the games’ host country.
During the Congressional Executive Commission on China hearing on Thursday, Pelosi said, “I would say to our athletes, you’re there to compete. Do not risk incurring the anger of the Chinese government because they are ruthless.”
Nancy Pelosi tells U.S. Olympic athletes not to "speak out" against the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing lest they risk "incurring the anger" of the Chinese government. pic.twitter.com/kzwSYdMJyM
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 3, 2022
“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,” she added.
Pelosi’s comments came a day before the opening ceremony of the Olympics and did not go over well with some:
Nancy Pelosi tells American athletes not to speak out on any Chinese genocide or human rights issues while they are at the Olympics. Maybe she can be the next NBA commissioner too? pic.twitter.com/oyTY74VPhJ
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 4, 2022
Pelosi instructs US athletes to keep their mouths shut about human rights abuses in China and not incur their anger. You will do as you’re told and listen to your masters. pic.twitter.com/LCpUxnWD6O
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 3, 2022
First Jen Psaki tells a private corporation to engage in censorship.
— Willie J. Montague (@WillieJMontague) February 3, 2022
Then Nancy Pelosi tells athletes in the Olympics to not speak out against China.
Two blatant infractions against the First Amendment only days apart.
They're getting a little brazen here, don't you think?
Speaker Pelosi doesn't want to upset the Chinese Communist Party. So she's warning US Olympians to stay silent about China's atrocities.
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) February 3, 2022
No surprise this comes right as Democrats are trying to jam through the 3,000-page 'America Concedes Act' that helps China but hurts America. pic.twitter.com/3dKDU0nepn
According to Pelosi, it is an active good when extraordinarily privileged and wealthy athletes in the United States kneel for the national anthem, but our athletes should remain silent in China. Insane on a moral level. Unforgivable in terms of foreign policy.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 4, 2022
Why did Nancy Pelosi stand by as BLM protesters set fire to cities but tell American athletes to stop protesting China’s human rights violations?
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) February 3, 2022
Speaker Pelosi said people “will do what they do” when it came to protests and ripping statues down in our cities, yet won’t stand up for U.S. Olympic athletes speaking out against China.
— Rep. Richard Hudson (@RepRichHudson) February 3, 2022
We should ALWAYS have Americans’ backs over China. https://t.co/RisytiNqyl
Pelosi can bend the knee to China. But our American athletes have free speech rights and should never be told to surrender them. https://t.co/dzDbnNeDnG
— Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) February 3, 2022
China has been accused of detaining over 1 million members of the Muslim Uyghur minority group in the northwest region of Xinjiang and subjecting them to forced labor, torture, and sexual assaults. It has also faced allegations that it committed genocide against the Uyghurs.
In December, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced, “The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games given the PRC’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses.”
“The athletes on Team USA have our full support. We will be behind them 100% as we cheer them on from home. We will not be contributing to the fanfare of the games,” she added.
In addition to concerns about potential repercussions for speaking out, athletes were also warned against bringing their personal cellphones or other electronics to China due to “cybersecurity concerns.” Instead, they were encouraged to bring burner phones to the games.