Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Anna Moneymaker
Republican VP pick J.D. Vance faces renewed backlash over past comments criticizing gymnast Simone Biles for withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics. A 2021 video resurfaced on social media showing Vance disapproving of Biles’ decision and the supportive media response. In the Fox News interview, Vance stated, “What I find so weird about this, and it reflects on the media more than it does on Simone Biles, is that we have tried to turn a very tragic moment — Simone Biles quitting the Olympic team — into this act of heroism.”
At the time, Vance was not yet a senator but voiced strong opinions against what he called a “therapeutic society.” He remarked, “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.” These statements have resurfaced following Biles’ remarkable performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she led the U.S. women’s gymnastics team to gold in the all-around final, according to the Daily Mail.
During the 2021 interview, Vance did acknowledge the pressures Biles faced but remained critical of the media’s reaction. “Being an athlete at that level is incredibly tough… a normal response at this moment would be to say— ‘It’s just a shame that she is going through this. It is a shame that she quit.’ But instead, what our press has done, I think, is turn this into this weird therapeutic moment. ‘Let’s praise her for doing this.’ And I think that’s really where the problem herein lies.”
The re-emergence of Vance’s comments has reignited discussions about mental health in sports. Many argue that Biles’ decision to exit the Tokyo Olympics wasn’t solely about mental health but also about physical safety due to the risks associated with the ‘twisties.’ Biles has openly discussed her struggles since Tokyo and took a two-year break from competitive gymnastics before returning to compete in Paris, as reported by The Daily Beast.
Biles’ recent performance, where she scored highest in the team final, has earned widespread praise. The controversy over Vance’s remarks coincides with his selection as Donald Trump’s running mate for the 2024 election—a role that inevitably invites intense scrutiny.
In another 2021 interview that recently resurfaced, Vance made crude comments about Vice President Kamala Harris and other prominent Democrats. He asserted, “We’re effectively run in this country — via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs — by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too. You look at Kamala Harris…”
As Vance’s past comments continue to circulate, they highlight the ongoing debate around mental health, media representation, and the scrutiny public figures face in the political arena.
