President Biden’s White House is backing Olympic athlete Gwen Berry’s right to turn her back on the American flag, saying pride and patriotism include pointing out when the United States hasn’t lived up to “our highest ideals.”
Berry, who qualified for the U.S. track and field by placing third over the weekend in the hammer throw Olympic trials in Oregon, turned her back on the American flag and covered her head with a t-shirt during the playing of the national anthem.
A very vocal BLM activist, Berry claimed she was set up by event organizers by being told the anthem would play before she arrived on the podium.
“The anthem doesn’t speak for me. It never has,” she said. “My purpose and my mission is bigger than sports.”
The soon-to-be Olympic hammer thrower vowed to continue to raise awareness of racism in America.
“I’m here to represent those … who died due to systemic racism. That’s the important part,” she insisted. “That’s why I’m going. That’s why I’m here today.”
“What a contrast”: Rep. Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows react to Gwen Berry’s ‘woke corporate culture’ actions as opposed to how many Trump supporters feel about the nation. pic.twitter.com/aDW1ykY6WI
— Newsmax (@newsmax) June 29, 2021
RELATED: Hollywood Conservative Jon Voight Defends Giuliani And Trump As ‘Heroes Of The United States’
Biden Defends Olympic Athlete Gwen Berry
Perhaps shockingly, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said President Biden would stand behind Berry’s right to protest the national anthem.
Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked Psaki if Biden thinks Berry’s actions are “appropriate behavior for someone who hopes to represent Team USA.”
She replied that she hasn’t spoken directly to Biden about the incident, but assured the President is “incredibly proud to be an American and has great respect for the Anthem and all that it represents, especially for our men and women serving in uniform all around the world.”
Still, the White House backed Berry’s protest, with Psaki saying Biden believes peacefully protesting is part of being patriotic.
“[Biden] would also say, of course, that part of that pride in our country means recognizing there are moments where we are — as a country, haven’t lived up to our highest ideals, and it means respecting the right of people, granted to them in the Constitution, to peacefully protest,” replied Psaki.
The Biden WH gives support to Gwen Berry turning her back on the national anthem during #TrackFieldTrials21. While Jen Psaki hasn’t spoken to Biden about her, she said “pride” in America means “respecting” those who recognize when we “haven’t lived up to our highest ideals” pic.twitter.com/OVgQXg3YAz
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 28, 2021
RELATED: Joe Rogan: Everybody Knows Biden Is ‘Out of His Mind’
Dan Crenshaw: Berry Needs to Be Removed From the Team
Yes, every American has the right to protest peacefully, but to do so while representing the country that gave you an opportunity to compete in the Olympic games is absurd.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), unlike the Biden White House, is able to separate those two facts, and has called for Gwen Berry to be removed from the U.S. track and field team.
“We don’t need any more activist athletes,” Crenshaw said during an interview on Fox & Friends. “She should be removed from the team.”
Dan Crenshaw calls for Gwen Berry to be removed from the Olympic team because she turned away from the flag pic.twitter.com/c2xWKLXPPJ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 28, 2021
“The entire point of the Olympic team is to represent the United States of America. That’s the entire point. OK so, you know, it’s one thing when these NBA players do it, OK fine, we’ll just stop watching. But now the Olympic team? And it’s multiple cases of this,” Crenshaw said.
“They should be removed,” he restated. “That should be the bare minimum requirement is that you believe in the country (you’re) representing.”
Berry responded as you might expect from a liberal ‘activist,’ retweeting a message that “Dan can kiss my ass.”
Dan can kiss my ass. And if “folks” gonna be mad at Black American athletes… uh, when y’all gonna cheer for the USA!? Because we are EVERYWHERE in these Olympics ????????? @MzBerryThrows is THAT deal & y’all should put some respect on her name. Period. https://t.co/DLUcr8oXqi
— Miss Mox (@hotblackbitter) June 28, 2021
Aside from the White House defending an anti-American Olympic athlete, President Biden has made controversial comments about America himself in the past.
Just prior to the election, Biden posted a video message in which he says “America was an idea” that “we’ve never lived up to.”
“America was an idea, an idea,” he says in the clip. “‘We hold these truths to be self-evident.'”
“We’ve never lived up to it, but we’ve never walked away from it before, and I just think we have to be more honest,” Biden continued.
America was an idea. We’ve never lived up to it but we’ve never walked away from it before.https://t.co/VRCnKI0rfQ pic.twitter.com/xLuhhGyJVp
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 22, 2020
Funny that Olympic athlete Gwen Berry and Joe Biden conveniently forget the many things that make America great, some of which directly involve race and equality.
- Declaration of Independence – A blueprint for freedom that inspired numerous other nations’ own movements for independence.
- Immigration – There is a reason over 50 million immigrants have come to America since 1960, more than the next four nations combined. It’s because the places they come from pale in comparison to this exceptional nation – the one they are coming to.
- World War II – America saved the world from Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.
- Charity – We are the most charitable nation by far, whether it is providing funds or time to others.
- Emancipation Proclamation – Declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”
In a separate tweet responding to Crenshaw’s comments, Berry inadvertently revealed what her little protest was all about.
“At this point, y’all are obsessed with me,” she tweeted.
Which is exactly what she was hoping for.
Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #16 on Feedspot’s “Top 70 Conservative Political Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2021.”