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Republican Senator Learns the Hard Way that You Don’t Use Simone Biles’ Olympic Win for Political Gain

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: CommentsComments (0)
Republican Senator John Thune and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles (John Thune official website/Twitter)

Republican Senator John Thune and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles (John Thune official website/Twitter)

Gymnast Simone Biles won the gold medal in the women’s all-around final yesterday and while many congratulated her on her accomplishment, one US senator used the time to promote one of his policies.

Republican Senator John Thune of South Dakota took advantage of the attention on the Olympic athlete by sending a congratulatory tweet complete with an anti-tax message.

Thune pushed his tax relief bill on Biles. His tweet linked to an op-ed posted last month describing The United States Appreciation for Olympians and Paralympians Act which would allow Olympians to retain their cash prizes and the full monetary value of their medals.

Forbes reported U.S. government taxes athletes on their medals based on their fair market value when it is earned. On top of that tax, any money earned from endorsements and prizes are also taken into account. The U.S. Olympic Committee gives competitors bonus money for their medals – $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze.

In the article on his website, Thune said imposing an exemption on athletes’ winnings is “fair, common sense, and sends the right message to Team USA, both present and future.”

Twitter quickly lashed out at the senator for the poorly timed message.

Adrienne had a few choice words for the South Dakota native.

Mel called it “inappropriate and self-serving.”

A user by the name Karl used politics against the Thune mentioning his party’s influence on Black voting rights.

https://twitter.com/JerryMander/status/763937414838558721

@eritersrepublic used a few images to describe her thoughts on his message.

Other tweets read:

https://twitter.com/redstmiscreant/status/763949491368013825

https://twitter.com/chrisswartout/status/763923941043777537

Biles has not responded to Thune’s tweet, but she continued to celebrate her gold with history-maker and fellow Olympian Simone Manuel. The duo posed for a selfie together following their wins. Manuel became the first African-American to earn a gold medal in an individual swimming event last night. She tied with Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak and set an Olympic record in the women’s 100 meter freestyle.

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