First lady Jill Biden praised the Paris Olympics’ controversial opening ceremony as “spectacular” after it received backlash for offending Christians with a drag queen depiction of Jesus’s Last Supper.
Biden, who led the U.S. delegation to this year’s Olympic Games, remarked that it will be difficult for Los Angeles to top Paris’s opening ceremony in 2028.
“So, last night, it was just spectacular,” the first lady said at a commemorative brunch, according to NBC Los Angeles. “The rain did not dampen our spirits…. Every step of the way, I was thinking to myself, oh my god, oh my god. How are we going to top this?”
Rain poured down over the ceremony as athletes of different countries sailed down the river Seine and drag queens and other costumed performers danced, garnering criticism from those who did not believe it represented French culture:
“So, ok. Paris has the Eiffel Tower, but we have Hollywood and the magic of Hollywood that makes all dreams come true. I think we’re going to be ok.… It’s a city where new generations of dreamers shape our culture,” Biden added at the brunch, which was also attended by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D).
“At the end of the 2028 Games, Olympians and fans will see themselves reflected in Los Angeles,” the first lady added.
At one point in the opening celebration, men in makeup and wigs portrayed Jesus’s disciples while self-described “love activist” Barbara Butch attempted to fill the role of Christ in a representation of Leonardo DaVinci’s famous the Last Supper:
The display was called a “mockery” of Christianity and “appalling” by U.K. television host Piers Morgan:
“The Olympics has made it clear that Christian viewers aren’t welcome,” journalist Kyle Becker wrote:
The ceremony was also denounced by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who called it a “really bad start” to the Olympic Games:
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