MAGA Commentator Faces Backlash For Suggesting Olympians Should Be 'Vetted' For Their 'Patriotism'

Evita Duffy-Alfonso, daughter of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Fox News talking head Rachel Campos-Duffy, appeared on Newsmax's Carl Higbie Frontline on Wednesday to discuss eliminating the First Amendment Rights of Team USA Olympians.

Newsmax host Higbie said:

"Figure skater named Amber Glenn, never heard of her before this, but launched a rant about Trump and the transgender issue, saying, quote, ‘It’s been a hard time for the LGBT community overall in this administration,’ which it hasn’t been."

"But she was a three-time reigning champ and was expected to at least win a medal. She flopped, got 13th place."

He added:

"So I’m thinking to myself, like, maybe she should focus on doing what she came there for rather than political bashing of the Trump administration."

Higbie ignored the fact that Glenn helped propel Team USA to a gold medal in the team figure skating event.

Nor did Glenn finish in 13th place. She was in 13th after a disappointing short program and battled back to earn 3rd place scores in her free skate, giving Glenn a respectable 5th place finish in the women’s individual event.

International Skating Union

The team skating gold medalist also didn’t spontaneously pop off about the Trump administration.

Because she is the first openly LGBTQ+ woman to represent the U.S. in her sport, a reporter directly asked her at an official press conference about President Trump, his treatment of the LGBTQ community, and how it affects her.

Glenn answered with her honest experiences and opinions, as is her First Amendment right, and even added:

"I know that a lot of people will say, ‘You’re just an athlete, stick to your job, shut up about politics,’ but politics affect us all."

Glenn received threats and hate speech from Trump's MAGA minions as a result of sharing her truth, but she didn't demand they be silenced.

Instead, she celebrated her gold medal with teammate Alysa Liu, who would go on to win gold in the women’s individual event.

In response to Higbie's inaccurate portrayal of Glenn's Olympics, Duffy-Alfonso declared:

"I don’t know why we don’t start vetting these Olympians before they actually start to represent us overseas for their patriotism."

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By definition, patriotism is the quality of having or expressing devotion to and vigorous support for one's country. The MAGA definition of patriotism appears to be absolute fealty to their Dear Leader, Donald Trump, which is typical for authoritarian states, not democracies.

Duffy-Alfonso, a self-described independent journalist, added:

"My friend at 'The Federalist,' Sean Davis––Sean Fleetwood, he wrote this great article. He said the patriotic thing to do is actually to root against these unpatriotic Olympians because they’re going out bashing us."

You can see Duffy-Alfonso's comments here:

She continued:

"Why should we cheer for them? Why should we want them to win? It’s absurd. And by the way, she’s coming after America, calling us bigoted, insinuating the Trump administration’s bigoted—whatever it is."

Then Duffy-Alfonso, who has only a handful of nepotism-acquired journalistic credits to her name on Newsmax and beside her mother on Fox, turned to the MAGA playbook and declared homophobic and transphobic bigots like herself to be the "real victims."

"Listen, I’m going to tell you what. The people who are under threat in our country, it’s not queer individuals, it’s not trans people. It is little girls and women who are having their private spaces invaded by men."

"It is the wrestler who last week was assaulted by a male on the mat. This is what we’re dealing with. These are the people who are under threat. And I’m sick of pretending otherwise."

The pushback on Duffy-Alfonso was swift and brutal.

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Duffy-Alfonso isn't alone in demanding devotion to Trump as a requirement for Olympians.

Trump branded Team USA Olympian Hunter Hess a "loser" after the skier said he had mixed emotions representing the country while the Trump administration commits civil and human rights violations.

Vice President JD Vance warned Olympians not to "pop-off" about politics. And Florida MAGA Republican Senator Rick Scott stated anyone disloyal to Trump should be stripped of their Team USA Olympic uniform.

Luckily for the athletes, the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protects them from reprisals by the government for exercising their freedom of speech.

For now.