PARIS – Olympic champion in gymnastics Simone Biles entered the fray of the US presidential election campaign on Friday with a contribution that seems to strike back at the former president Donald Trump’s Comment on “Black Jobs”.
“I love my Black job,” Biles posted on X in response to a post by singer Ricky Davila, who said, “Iconic photo of the GOAT mastering her Black job and collecting gold medals.”
The exchange came hours after Biles held back Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade win the all-around competition Final of the Gymnastics Olympics in Parisand took her home ninth gold medalAt 27, she is the Oldest Olympic champion in gymnastics since 1952.
Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, was criticized for arguing during his June debate with Democratic President Joe Biden that Migrants take on “black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs” from Americans. Trump’s remarks infuriated critics, who called them a racist and offensive attempt to broaden his appeal beyond his white conservative base.
When moderators pressed him on what constituted a “black job,” Trump told attendees of this week’s Conference of the National Association of Black Journalists that “a black job is anyone who has a job,” which drew a groan from the room.
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has criticized Biles before. During an appearance on Fox News Channel in 2021, after Biles’ Withdrawal from participation in the Olympic Games this year to protect their own security in Tokyo – a self-removal that sparked an international discussion about Mental health – Vance asked why the athlete did not continue.
“I think it does not reflect well on our kind of therapeutic society that we try to praise people not for their strong moments, not for their heroic deeds, but for their weakest moments,” said Vance, who was running for his Senate seat at the time.
Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Biles’ post. Biles’ representatives also did not immediately respond to messages seeking further comment on her post or her general thoughts on the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
