Donald Trump is Missing the Olympic Spirit
Every four years, end-of-summer sports get a little more exciting. Top athletes from around the globe travel to a host country, Americans tune in to Bob Costas on NBC, and we are graced with the Olympic Games.
My favorite part of the Olympics isn’t the 400m medley relay or the vault or any particular event. It’s the Olympic spirit. For two and a half weeks, Rio will host a celebration of our international community and what binds us together as people. The Olympic Charter calls for play “without discrimination of any kind” and a “spirit of friendship.”
Do you know who has definitely never felt the Olympic spirit? Donald Trump.
Do you know who certainly is not making any friends on the international stage? Donald Trump.
As athletes from around the world are descending on Rio, leaders and dignitaries from around the world are fretting over the global consequences of a potential Trump presidency.
They’re not out of line. The Economist listed the election of Donald Trump as a top-ten risk to the world economy. Trump would ban immigration of Muslims to the United States in an unprecedented and bigoted move. And he’s encouraged nuclear proliferation and does not understand why nuclear war is not an option.
That’s a lot to fret over.
What’s the word from Great Britain, setting of the last summer Olympics in 2012?
“I think his remarks are divisive, stupid, and wrong.”
— Former British Prime Minister David Cameron on Donald Trump
China hosted the 2008 Beijing Olympics and is predicted to top the medal table in Rio this summer:
Donald Trump is an “irrational type.”
— Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei
Germany is favored to medal in many track and field events, but they don’t look too favorably on Trump:
Trump is “a threat to peace and social cohesion.”
— German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel
Checking in with France, home of the 1924 summer Olympics:
“Should the American people choose Trump, there will be consequences because a U.S. election is a global election.”
— French President François Hollande on Donald Trump
And from South Korea, home of likely archery medalists:
“He does not know the gravity of what he says.”
— South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choi Young-jin
These leaders know that — unlike team USA — Donald Trump is absolutely not ready for the world stage.
The Olympics is about uniting people through sports. At its core, it’s about celebrating our shared humanity. Everyone can see themselves represented by the athletes at the games, no matter their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability — even their refugee status. Donald Trump has insulted or belittled many of those people, and his risk to global security cannot be overstated.
Personally, I think Australia (host of the 2000 Olympics) may have said it best:
“I think Donald Trump’s views are just barking mad.”
— Australian Member of Parliament Bill Shorten
Trump has neither the policy knowledge nor the temperament to be president. It’s up to us to make sure he doesn’t get there, so commit to voting for Democrats today at commit2vote.com. Thanks, and go team USA!
