Cruz: I hope US athletes ‘go over there and kick their commie asses’ at Beijing Olympics

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on Sunday that he hoped U.S. athletes “go over there and kick their commie asses” at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

“I also think it’s important we do two things at the Olympics 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,” Cruz said during “Face the Nation” on CBS.

“And then number two, I really hope our young men and women – that they go over there and kick their commie asses – we need to win in the Olympics,” Cruz said.

Cruz explained that while he believed that it would be a “mistake” to have a full boycott of the Beijing Olympics in February, he agreed with the idea to have a diplomatic boycott.

“I think it’s a mistake to have a full boycott of the Olympics. You know, Jimmy Carter tried that in the 1970s. All it did was punish a generation of athletes,” Cruz said. “We’ve got young men and young women – Americans who spent their whole lives practicing for this moment. I don’t want to punish those young athletes. What we ought to do – I do agree with the notion of a so-called diplomatic boycott.”

Cruz’s comments come as President Biden confirmed last week that he was “considering” a diplomatic boycott against China as the administration comes under pressure to address its human rights abuses. 

China is also under intense scrutiny over the whereabouts of tennis star Peng Shuai, who is missing after she accused a former Chinese official of trying to force her to have sex after a match in 2018 despite her repeated refusals.

A Chinese state TV employee tweeted photos and videos purporting to show the tennis star this weekend, including videos showing her at a restaurant with friends. 

“I am glad to see the videos released by China state-run media that appear to show Peng Shuai at a restaurant in Beijing. While it is positive to see her, it remains unclear if she is free and able to make decisions and take actions on her own, without coercion or external interference,” Women’s Tennis Association Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said in a statement.

“This video alone is insufficient.  As I have stated from the beginning, I remain concerned about Peng Shuai’s health and safety and that the allegation of sexual assault is being censored and swept under the rug. I have been clear about what needs to happen and our relationship with China is at a crossroads,” he said.