‘A disgrace’: Donald Trump savages Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Former US president Donald Trump has savaged the Paris Olympics, taking aim at the controversial opening ceremony.
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Former US president Donald Trump has labelled the Paris Olympics opening ceremony “a disgrace” and vowed not to have a repeat at the 2028 LA Games if he wins back the presidency.
Paris kicked off the Games with a four-hour extravaganza down the River Seine that drew controversy after a perceived attack on the Christian faith.
While the appearance of megastars Lady Gaga and Celine Dion headlined the event, a segment entitled “Festivity” began with a group of dancers and drag queens sat in poses that appeared to recall depictions of the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus is said to have taken with his apostles.
Opening ceremony director Thomas Jolly denied the scene represented The Last Supper, claiming to have drawn inspiration from the Feast of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.
“My wish isn’t to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock,” Jolly said. “Most of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”
But it hasn’t stopped Mr Trump for firing his own shot at the scene after the Republican presidential nominee was asked about the ceremony on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle.
Asked by host Laura Ingraham if he’d watched any of the Olympics, Mr Trump said: “I thought that the opening ceremony was a disgrace, actually. I thought it was a disgrace.
“I mean, they can do certain things. I thought it was terrible.”
Whichever candidate wins the US election, their term will run over the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Mr Trump was asked if he’d ensure “we won’t be insulting Christians”.
“We won’t be having a Last Supper portrayed the way they portrayed it the other night,” Mr Trump said.
“I just think … Look, I’m for everybody. I’m very open-minded — you understand, you know me better than most people know me — but I thought what they did was a disgrace.”
The drama drew criticism from conservatives, and religious figures and groups, leading to the Paris organisers apologising.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokeswoman Anne Descamps told reporters on Sunday.
“If people have taken any offence, we are of course really, really sorry.”
The controversial moment was far from the only eyebrow-raising inclusion during the opening ceremony proceedings.
With a host of prerecorded scenes, an apparent tribute to France’s renowned sexual proclivities also left viewers stunned.
A scene appeared to show the start of a saucy ménage à trois. The snippet showed three people canoodling in France’s Bibliotheque National, or national library.
They even shut the door on viewers as it looked like they were about to do the deed.
The official Olympic Games X account shared an image of the trio with a quote from legendary author Victor Hugo: “The freedom to love is no less sacred than the freedom to think.”
Presenter Beth Fisher wrote: “Only the French could squeeze a threesome into an opening ceremony.”
Originally published as ‘A disgrace’: Donald Trump savages Paris Olympics opening ceremony
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