In what the media are calling an obvious jab to President Obama, one of the two people given the honor of lighting the Olympic torch at Sochi once tweeted a racially-charged Photoshopped image of the first couple.
Russian lawmaker and former Olympic figure skater Irina Rodnina sent a tweet in September that was soon published around the world. Attached was a doctored photo depicting the president and first lady appearing to stare longingly at a banana, according to The Hill.
An enraged Obama administration took notice of the tweet, which U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul described as “outrageous behavior, which only brings shame to her parliament and country.”
After the matter became an international incident, Rodnina deleted her tweet, but added a jab directed at American freedoms.
“Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, and you should answer for your own hang-ups,” she wrote.
Leno takes last shot at president in final monologue; Obama responds
The Hill reported:
Rodnina is a member of Vladimir Putin’s United Russia and one figure-skating’s most decorated athletes, having won three Olympic gold medals in consecutive games from 1972 to 1980. She lit the torch with Vladislav Tretiak, a former goal-keeper for Russia’s national ice hockey team and also a three-time gold medalist.
Terry Moran, chief foreign correspondent for ABC News, tweeted a screen shot he’d made of the tweet before Rodnina erased it.
It would be too easy to call this merely an “apparent” snub against the president. But given the international headlines that resulted from the tweet, coupled with Rodnina’s name recognition throughout the Russian Federation, there can be no question but that this was intentional.
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- ‘Act like a grownup’: Drunk driver sobs when she loses plea deal by coming 4 hours late to court - July 23, 2017
- ‘I would’ve fired her the day I met her’: Glenn Beck reveals more about Tomi Lahren mess - July 23, 2017
- Canadian thug beats 74-year-old cyclist bloody with a club in road rage fit– and they say US is more violent? - July 23, 2017
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
Comments are closed.