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Tribune Editorial: Cox and Lee, not U.S. Olympians, embarrass America on a global scale

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Gov. Spencer Cox speaks as state officials announce the formation of the organizing committee for the 2034 Olympics during a news conference at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.

To paraphrase an old saw from the legal profession: When the law is on your side, stress the law. When the facts are on your side, stress the facts. When neither the facts nor the law is on your side, blame the media.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox made some absurd and hypocritical statements the other day, while visiting the Winter Olympics in Italy. He said that it was the media’s fault for asking some American athletes to comment on the current political situation back home. Comments quickly denounced by Donald Trump.

What those Olympians said — one critical of how the U.S. government treats LGBTQ Americans, another making the obvious point that not all Americans agree with political goings-on back home — were perfectly reasonable opinions put forward by intelligent and accomplished Americans.

There has always been a political edge to the Olympics, as there is in any forum where people gather from all over the world. And these are the kind of questions any European or Asian are likely to ask any American they encounter. Especially now, when so many people globally are wondering, “What the actual hell is going on in America?!?”

Cox’s suggestion that the athletes, and the reporters who question them, should stick to sports is ridiculous. So is Utah Sen. Mike Lee’s social media attack on those Olympians for saying anything critical of the nation they represent.

Our athletes are intelligent, well-traveled adults, mostly in their 20s or 30s, not kids in need of Daddy-knows-best guidance from Cox and Lee.

Cox, who has been preaching his “Disagree Better” mantra for some time now, did allow as how it is good that Americans have the freedom to express themselves.

Increasingly, though, Cox’s lukewarm alignment with Trump has made “Disagree Better” sound more like “It would be better if you don’t disagree with me.”

It wasn’t our Olympians who embarrassed America this week. It was Trump, Lee and Cox.

Editorials represent the opinions of The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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By The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board