Olympic champion Simone Biles swiped back at a Trump administration lawyer who called her a “loser” after she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Biles, the most decorated gymnast in US history, became the youngest person to be awarded the medal, which is the highest civilian honor a president can bestow.
Jenna Ellis – a lawyer on former President Donald Trump’s “elite strike force” team that tried to overturn the 2020 election in court – critiqued President Joe Biden’s recipients of the medal, which included Biles and soccer player Megan Rapinoe.
“Fittingly, Biden awarded his presidential medals to fellow losers, Biles and Rapinoe,” Ellis tweeted on July 7, the day of the medal ceremony.
Biles responded by tweeting, “who is Jenna Ellis? Asking for everyone.”
—Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) July 8, 2022
Ellis later published a string of tweets about Biles, calling her a “selfish quitter.” She responded to Biles’ tweet with a GIF of Disney’s Captain Jack Sparrow, portrayed by Johnny Depp, saying “But you have heard of me.”
Ellis also quote-tweeted another tweet of Biles’, writing: “baby stick to your landings and grow up.”
Biles became a target of right-wing hate in 2021 when she pulled out of the women’s gymnastics team all-around final at the Tokyo Olympics, citing struggles with her mental health.
“Simone Biles is the most decorated American gymnast in history, with a combined total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. Biles is also a prominent advocate for athletes’ mental health and safety, children in the foster care system, and victims of sexual assault,” the White House said in a statement on the 2022 medal recipients.
