‘Free Speech Purist’ Tomi Lahren Lashes Out ‘Woke’ Olympic Athletes: It’s ‘Typical Leftist So-Called Activism’

Athlete activism and social justice messaging by athletes have provided a narrative for some to explain diminished TV ratings at the Tokyo Olympics.

While other factors such as the time difference, lack of crowd energy, and NBC doing a poor job of promoting when events are airing might be more suitable explanations, Fox News commentator Tomi Lahren is focused on athlete activism.

According to Lahren, the activism explains, “not only why the ratings are low, but why Team USA has done historically bad. Maybe they should pay more attention to their actual sport and less attention to their activism,” she said.

As of noon EST on Tuesday, the United States compiled more medals than any other country at the Tokyo Olympics and ranks second in golds.

“I’m a free speech purist,” Lahren said on Fox and Friends First. “I think they should be able to express themselves, but while they are competing for Team USA they are in fact at work so they should be focusing on their actual job.”

Lahren was commenting specifically on a gesture made by US shot-putter Raven Saunders last Saturday. After earning the silver medal, Saunders, a Black, LGBTQ athlete, crossed her hands in the shape of an X while on the podium. The X took nothing away from the competition, which was uninterrupted by any form of protest of messaging. According to Saunders, the X was “represents unity with oppressed people.”

“What does standing there to get attention, to be self-indulgent, to try to get an endorsement deal and get your name in the headlines, what does that actually do for anybody?” Lahren asked. “This is typical leftist so-called activism…it’s empty and it’s ridiculous and it solves no problems. Clearly, if it solved a problem then Colin Kaepernick would have solved the world’s problems years ago.”

Watch above via Fox News