Donald Trump has condemned last week’s controversial Olympics opening ceremony in Paris, describing it as a ‘disgrace’.
The former President’s scolding criticism comes amid fierce backlash against the controversial religious depictions during the glitzy event.
Olympics organizers have been forced to apologize to anyone who was offended by a tableau that evoked Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’, which depicts the moment when Jesus Christ declared that an apostle would betray him.
The scene during Friday’s ceremony featured DJ and producer Barbara Butch — an LGBTQ+ icon — flanked by drag artists and dancers. One backup dancer appeared to have his genitals exposed during the ceremony.
Religious conservatives from around the world decried the segment and Trump is the latest to speak out against it.
Donald Trump has condemned last week’s controversial Olympics opening ceremony in Paris
This scene featuring drag queens appearing to depict The Last Supper caused controversy during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Friday night
A singing performer painted blue depicted the Greek god Dionysus during Friday’s ceremony
The former president told Fox: ‘I thought that the opening ceremony was a disgrace, actually. I thought it was a disgrace.’
Speaking about the opening ceremony of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Trump added: ‘We won’t be having a Last Supper as portrayed the way they portrayed it the other night.
‘I mean, they can do certain things. I thought it was terrible.
‘Look, I’m for everybody. I’m very open-minded… but I thought what they did was a disgrace.’
The French Catholic Church’s conference of bishops deplored the ‘scenes of derision’ that they said made a mockery of Christianity — a sentiment echoed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
The Anglican Communion in Egypt expressed its ‘deep regret’ Sunday, saying the ceremony could cause the IOC to ‘lose its distinctive sporting identity and its humanitarian message.’
Donald Trump Jr. has also attacked the director’s intentions as ‘satanic.’
‘My mom was an Olympian (Czech Natl Ski Team), and as a kid we would be excited for weeks leading up to the games,’ Trump Jr. wrote on X, repeating the debunked false claim that the late Ivana Trump was a member of Czechoslovakia’s 1972 Olympic team.
‘Now with the ever predictable (& seemingly satanic to me) drag queen opening ceremonies and never ending bs, no one I know even thinks about it beyond maybe watching some highlights,’ he continued.
Donald Trump Jr. took to social media decrying the performance at the opening ceremony
Paris 2024 Olympics communications director Anne Descamps pictured at a press conference
But for all the talk of the director’s supposedly ‘satanic’ intentions, the scene may have been misinterpreted.
The ceremony’s artistic director Thomas Jolly had distanced his scene from any ‘Last Supper’ parallels after the ceremony, saying it was meant to celebrate diversity and pay tribute to feasting and French gastronomy.
Paris 2024 organizer Anne Descamps has since apologized for any offence caused by religious depictions during the opening ceremony.
In a press conference on Sunday, Descamps apologized for any offence caused and insisted that the ceremony intended to ‘celebrate community tolerance’.
‘Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,’ she said.
‘On the contrary, I think Thomas Jolly did try to intend to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved, if people have taken any offence, we of course are really sorry.’
It came after thousands of social media users threatened to boycott the Paris Games because of the opening ceremony.
Enraged viewers took to X (formely Twitter) where ‘#boycottOlympics’ and ‘#boycottParis2024’ were seen trending over the course of the following day.
Echoing the criticisms of others, Rob Schneider claimed the ceremony celebrates Satan
The appearance of a ‘naked blue man’ among a scene likened to the Last Supper angered many watching, especially Christians.
One wrote: ‘What a disgraceful opening to the 2024 Olympics #BoycottOlympics.’
Another declared they ‘didn’t even care about the Olympics’ but were now ‘100 per cent boycotting’.
Saturday Night Live alum Rob Schneider is one of those boycotting the Olympics over the controversial opening ceremony that he sees as Satanic display that ‘disrespects Christianity.’
‘I am sorry to say to ALL the world’s GREATEST ATHLETES, I wish you ALL THE BEST, but I cannot watch an Olympics that disrespects Christianity and openly celebrates Satan,’ the 60-year-old wrote on X.
‘Guys with their genitalia hanging out in front of children?!’ Schneider wrote in another post. ‘Drag Queens?! I wasn’t sure if I was watching the @Olympics or if I was watching a school board meeting…’
