Sen. Cruz: It’s a mistake to have a full boycott of the Olympics

November 22, 2021 Amber Coakley US 0

Senator Ted Cruz, R-TX, questions US Attorney General Merrick Garland during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing examining the Department of Justice on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC October 27, 2021. (Photo by TASOS KATOPODIS / POOL / AFP) (Photo by TASOS KATOPODIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 2:03 PM PT – Monday, November 22, 2021

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) weighed on whether he supports boycotting the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. During an interview Sunday, the Republican highlighted the Olympics should have been moved out of China, but thinks a full boycott of the games would be a mistake.

“You know Jimmy Carter tried that in the 1970s; all it did was punish a generation of athletes,” stated the senator. “We’ve got young men and young woman Americans who spent their whole lives practicing for this moment. I don’t want to punish those young athletes.”

Cruz, however, assessed he does support a diplomatic boycott after Joe Biden announced the U.S. was considering the measure last week. The Republican emphasized it’s important the U.S. do two things in China.

“Number one that we actually show the courage the Women’s Tennis Association is showing to call out the murder, the genocide, the torture, the lies, the complicity in COVID-19 of the Chinese communist government to speak the truth,” said Cruz. “And then number two, I really hope our young men and woman…that they go over there and kick their commie asses. We need to win in the Olympics.”

The Republican’s concern comes after Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai’s sudden reappearance Sunday who disappeared from the public eye shortly after accusing the countries former vice premier of sexual assault. Several from the tennis world, government officials as well as the United Nations have since called on China for proof of Shuai’s whereabouts. Cruz said he’s ”deeply, deeply skeptical” of her reappearance.

Cruz also said he hoped more corporations would cut off advertisements and show courage to stand up against the “horrific” acts taking place in China. He shined light on the Women’s Tennis Association’s threat to pull out of the country for answers on Shuai’s safety and putting its athletes first.