Why Jenna Ellis is under fire for her controversial tweet on Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe

Megan Rapinoe and Simone Biles were recently the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (Image via Sportskeeda)
Megan Rapinoe and Simone Biles were recently the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (Image via Sportskeeda)

Simone Biles and Megan Rapinoe are two Olympians who recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor that can be bestowed on an American citizen. Both Biles and Rapinoe have made excellent contributions in the world of gymnastics and football respectively.

While most Americans applauded their well-deserved honor, Jenna Ellis criticized both athletes mercilessly via a Twitter post. Ellis is one of Donald Trump’s lawyers who lost 63 election lawsuits in the ex-President’s re-election campaign.


Jenna Ellis tweets about Simone Biles and Megan Rapinoe and why it is derogatory

On July 8, 2022, Jenna Ellis called Simone Biles and Megan Rapinoe “fellow losers,” clearly indicating she was unhappy to whom the Presidential Medal of Freedom was bestowed.

She faced heavy backlash on Twitter, which deemed her remarks to be in poor taste and ridiculous, considering both women are world-class athletes and have five Olympic gold medals between them. The tweet currently sits at 4.8K likes and over 750 retweets.

Biles performing her routine at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (Image via Olympics)
Biles performing her routine at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (Image via Olympics)

Aside from winning four Olympic gold medals, Simone Biles has 19 World Championship Golds too. The Presidential Medal of Freedom made her the youngest living recipient of the highest American civilian honor.

Megan Rapinoe with her Bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (Image via Olympics)
Megan Rapinoe with her Bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (Image via Olympics)

Megan Rapinoe, meanwhile, has won one Olympic gold medal with the US Women's Soccer team at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. She was also awarded the 'Best FIFA Women's Player' in 2019 and was the recipient of the Ballon d'Or Feminin the same year.

Ellis also went on to explain how Biles is a “selfish quitter” and Rapinoe a “boorish unAmerican bully”.

Ellis considers Biles a “selfish quitter,” as she backed out of four event finals she qualified for in the Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020 last summer. The star gymnast withdrew citing mental health issues and was even applauded by USA Gymnastics, who gave out the following statement:

“We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many.”

Ironically, Ellis claimed in her Twitter post, stating that both Biles and Rapinoe are “not role models”. Rapinoe was criticized as a “bully,” as she took a knee during the national anthem and reportedly forced her teammates to do so as well. Taking a knee during the American national anthem signifies taking a stand against racism that's prevalent in the country.

Twitterati did not back down, and Ellis faced a major backlash and was mocked because of her 63 lawsuit losses. Biles also responded via a tweet, asking who Ellis is. Biles' tweet has been retweeted 18.3K times and has 188.2K likes. Rapinoe, meanwhile, has not responded as of now.

Edited by Bhargav
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