Ted Cruz defends Simone Biles amid criticism on the right: ‘She’s a tremendously talented athlete’
‘Certainly the people of Houston, people across the country are proud of her’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Senator Ted Cruz defended fellow Texan and Olympian Simone Biles after numerous conservatives criticised the gymnast for her withdrawal from a number of Olympic events.
Mr Cruz, who represents Texas and like Biles lives in Houston, praised the 24-year-old’s athletic prowess.
“She’s been a great Olympian and incredibly talented gymnast, certainly the people of Houston, people across the country are proud of her,” Mr Cruz told The Independent.
The Texas Republican also called it “strange” that many commentators seemed to be celebrating her withdrawal as some “tremendous victory.”
“Too often in our public discourse, we engage in extremes,” he said. “Someone is either a hero or a villain, I think she’s a tremendously talented athlete and I think it is unfortunate that she felt the need to withdraw and couldn’t compete.”
Biles withdrew from several events earlier this week, citing mental health concerns. She was subsequently met with tremendous backlash from some conservatives. Texas’s deputy attorney general Aaron Reitz apologised after he compared Biles to former Olympian Kerri Strug during the latter’s appearance in 1996 when she competed on vault with an injured ankle.
“Contrast this with our selfish, childish national embarrassment, Simone Biles,” Mr Reitz tweeted before deleting.
“In a moment of frustration and disappointment, I opined on subjects for which I am not adequately versed. That was an error. I can’t imagine what Simone Biles has gone through,” Mr Reitz said in an apology.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments