A Minnesota Olympian has torn into the Donald Trump administration for the immigration crackdown that led to two U.S. citizens being shot dead in his home state.
“I’d like to say I’m proud to be here to represent Team USA, and to represent our country,” curler Rich Ruohonen, who also works as a lawyer, told reporters at the Winter Games in Milan Tuesday. “But we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least mention what’s going on in Minnesota.”
“What a tough time it’s been for everybody. This stuff is happening right around where we live,” he went on. ”I am a lawyer, as you know. We have a constitution, and it allows us freedom of speech.”
Following the killings of protesters Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti over the past few weeks, he added that “what’s happening in Minnesota is wrong,” and that “there’s no shades of grey. It’s clear.”
Ruohonen’s statement comes after similar remarks by Olympic skier Hunter Hess and figure skater Amber Glenn.
“Just because I wear the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S,” Hess said last week. “Politics affects us all. It is something I will not just be quiet about,” Glenn added.
Those sentiments provoked a full-on meltdown among Trump supporters over the weekend, with the MAGA chief himself leading the charge.
“U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics,” Trump posted Sunday. “If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it.”
“Very hard to root for someone like this,” the president added. “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott meanwhile has called for U.S. athletes critical of the administration to be booted from their teams.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment on this story.
