Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) came out in support of the White House holding a diplomatic boycott for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but allowing American athletes to participate in the games.

Romney spoke to MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell about the Biden administration’s decision not to send an envoy to Beijing, as a message of protest for China’s human rights abuses and authoritarian practices. White House press secretary Jen Psaki has explained that White House intends to cheer for any Americans who attend the games, and Romney expressed that it was best to keep the boycott against China politically-focused.

“I applaud the decision to say that our diplomats are not going to be going to Beijing, given the outrage and the predation coming from the Chinese Communist Party. That’s the right step,” Romney said. “I understand people who feel that we should not send our athletes either…But these athletes trained their entire lives to prepare for the games at this time, and I don’t feel the burden of our international policies should fall of the shoulders on these young people.”

Romney continued by defending his position of not having U.S. Olympic athletes carry America’s foreign policy burdens, even amid calls for them to boycott the games as well.

“These young people and their families have sacrificed their entire lives to be the best in the world and to be prepared for these games,” he said. “And I, frankly, want to hear the United States national anthem play in Beijing.”

Mitchell concluded by asking Romney for his thoughts on China vowing “firm countermeasures” in response to the U.S. diplomatic boycott. The senator said China is in “no position to cast aspersions at anyone” after the human rights abuses their government has committed.

Watch above, via MSNBC.

The post Romney Defends Biden Letting Team USA Perform at Olympics: ‘I Want to Hear the National Anthem Play in Beijing’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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