‘It was a disgrace’ – Trump blasts ‘terrible’ Paris Olympics opening ceremony

Donald Trump blasted the Paris Olympics opening ceremony over a performance that many said mocked the Last Supper. The former president is among various public figures who have criticised the controversial performance.

Talking to Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle on Monday, July 29, Trump slammed the performance as a “disgrace.” “I thought that the opening ceremony was a disgrace, actually,” he said. “I thought it was a disgrace.”

The scene showed drag performers and artists lined up at a table on either side of Barbara Butch, a lesbian activist and French DJ. Butch was donning a halo-like headpiece, and the group floated down the Seine on a boat. Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the ceremony, said the scene was inspired from Greek mythology and the Feast of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. The Greek God was portrayed by singer Philippe Katerine, who was nearly naked and in blue body paint. Jolly stressed that he did not draw inspiration from the famous biblical story.

“My wish isn’t to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock,” Jolly said. “Most of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”

However, many Christians said they believe the scene resembled Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco painting of Jesus Christ’s Last Supper. Several people found it offensive.

‘I thought what they did was a disgrace’
Trump has now blasted the performance for not being in good taste. “I mean, they can do certain things. I thought it was terrible,” he said. “Look, I’m for everybody. I’m very open-minded… but I thought what they did was a disgrace.”

The Olympic organisers apologised to those who were offended and said they never intended to disrespect anyone’s religion. “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think [with] Thomas Jolly, we really did try to celebrate community tolerance,” spokesperson Anne Descamps said during a press conference on Sunday, June 28.

“Looking at the result of the polls that we shared, we believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense we are, of course, really, really sorry,” Descamps added.