US Olympian deletes selfie with Ivanka Trump: ‘I was tired of reading the hate’
U.S. Olympic bobsledder Lauren Gibbs refuses to give a platform to hate.
The 33-year-old athlete won a silver medal with Elana Meyers Taylor in the women’s bobsleigh event at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. But this week, she faced an online backlash over a selfie she took with senior White House adviser Ivanka Trump at the Games.
Gibbs snapped a shot of herself with President Donald Trump’s daughter and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who were in South Korea as part of the U.S. delegation for the closing ceremony.
The post sparked accusations that Gibbs’ agreed with the White House’s policies. She also faced criticism for allowing Trump to wear her silver medal.
"I feel like this is almost like trying on somebody's wedding ring. Am I allowed?" — @IvankaTrump, asked if she wants to wear silver medal won by @lagibbs84 as part of the US's 2-person bobsled team. https://t.co/omyy8XM5bI
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) February 25, 2018
Gibbs defended the photograph and stated in subsequent tweets that she’d just been conducting herself “in a way that I would want to be treated”:
I am not falling for anything...but being nasty to them would not solve the issue...and don't get me wrong there are many issues
— Lauren Gibbs (@lagibbs84) February 25, 2018
i am capturing the full experience of my first Olympics, they are part of it...again whether I like what they stand for or not.
— Lauren Gibbs (@lagibbs84) February 25, 2018
As for allowing Trump to try on the medal, Gibbs explained:
I mean I have let many people try it on! It’s a frickin Olympic medal and most people will never know what it is like to earn one, wear one or even touch one! It is meant to be shared ❤️
— Lauren Gibbs (@lagibbs84) February 26, 2018
On Tuesday, Gibbs announced she had deleted the selfie because: “I was tired of reading the hate being thrown back and forth.”
The image’s removal from Twitter sparked another wave of anger, with many Trump supporters accusing Gibbs of caving in to liberal pressure. Gibbs did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment, but she again defended her decision online:
It was my choice to take it down... didn’t cave but didn’t want the photo caught up in a hate storm... but it’s my account and have the right to post and delete as I see fit
— Lauren Gibbs (@lagibbs84) February 28, 2018
It was allowing people to spew hate at each other which broke my heart. I still believe in what I said. I just wasn’t going to be a platform for people to be evil to each other
— Lauren Gibbs (@lagibbs84) February 28, 2018