"It was demonic and perverse" — Internet reacts to Trump calling Olympics Opening Ceremony a "disgrace" amid Last Supper controversy

Former US president and Republican nominee Donald Trump condemned the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, aligning with the sentiments shared by many on social media over the weekend. The ceremony, which aired on July 26, 2024, was criticized for its tableau featuring drag queens. Many claimed it was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper.'

Speaking on The Ingraham Angle on Fox News on July 29, 2024, Donald Trump dubbed the ceremony "a disgrace."

“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. Look, I’m for everybody. I am very open-minded. But I think, what they did was a disgrace," he said.

Several netizens concurred with Donald Trump's comments, lambasting the Olympics for its tableau that was deemed a mockery of Christianity, with one person tweeting:

"Beyond disgrace. It was demonic and perverse."

Others added to the commentary, claiming they were shocked by the tableau.

"We certainly agree. Still shocked they did that for the Olympics!" one person tweeted.

"It was just despicable. Horrendous," another person agreed.

"He’s right about that. Sports and great athletic achievements should be the focus. And a touch of the home country’s culture. That display was odd and disturbing," another user tweeted.

"It was a mockery to Christianity," someone else wrote.

However, many pointed out that the source of inspiration was Greek mythology, comparing the tableau to Jan van Bijlert's 17th-century painting 'The Feast of the Gods.'

"It was the feast of Dionysus; not the last supper which has nothing to do with France or the Olympics," one user pointed out.

"Only they weren’t portraying the last supper," another person added.

"Watching the Olympics right now and reading a bunch of whining hypocritical Christians banning the Olympics just because the opening ceremony didn’t align with their religion. What a bunch of tremendously tremendous and so big, the biggest, the biggest ever, bigots. Y’all can’t even agree amongst your 200 denominations in America," a netizen explained.

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2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony controversy explored

The 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony drew the ire of many viewers. The tableau in question featured drag queens from Drag Race France standing behind a table on either side of LQBTQ activist and French DJ Barbara Butch, who was in the middle. French actor Philippe Katerine, covered in blue body paint, was at the center of the table on a fruit platter.

Many argued that the tableau unintentionally mimicked da Vinci's 'The Last Supper,' a 15th-century painting of Jesus Christ with his 12 apostles before his betrayal and subsequent crucifixion.

However, Thomas Jolly, the art director for the 2024 Opening Ceremony, claimed the tableau was based on Greek mythology, adding that actor Philippe Katerine was supposed to represent Dionysus, the God of wine and pleasure.

In an interview with the Associated Press on July 28, he said the ceremony was inspired by the idea of a huge pagan festivity akin to the Greek gods of Olympus, thus establishing a link to the Olympics. He added that he had no ill will with the tableau, saying:

“My wish isn’t to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock. Most of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide. You will never find in me a desire to mock and denigrate anyone. I wanted to make a ceremony that repairs, that reconciles, and also that reaffirms the values of our Republic: liberty-equality-fraternity."

The event faced immense backlash online and was widely criticized by religious bodies, including the French Catholic Church and their Conference of Bishops.