Someone, please check if pigs are actually flying because Fox News host Sean Hannity begged his viewers to “be a little bit more respectful” when it comes to the mental health struggles of athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka.
That’s right, the man who spent much of 2020 suggesting President Joe Biden might be suffering from cognitive impairment has told people it’s really not fair to drag Biles and Osaka because “none of us know what someone might be going through.” Ah, irony. You strike again. Now, to be clear, Hannity’s correct in his defense of our Olympic athletes. Mental health is something we all need to take more seriously, and few of us will ever understand the pressure of performing on a world stage like both Biles and Osaka have done countless times. During his segment, Hannity doubled down on that sentiment:
“All of us need to take a deep breath, relax, reset, move forward,” he said. “These young women have both sacrificed years and years, over a decade of their life to become some of the greatest athletes in their respective sports. To be honest, and this may surprise you, I’m kind of shocked people have actually been so mean and cruel in many cases. Passing judgment of both these incredible female athletes. They are under tremendous pressure. And I’m sorry, but some people seem pretty heartless in their comments.”
Shockingly compassionate words, we know. But, before you start questioning whether Hannity has had his body invaded by aliens, he returned to his usual form by dedicating the beginning of his segment to bashing Olympian Gwen Berry, who called attention to racial injustice with a demonstration during the playing of the national anthem during the Olympic trials. Berry failed to medal at the Tokyo Games, and Hannity, predictably, was delighted.