Sen. Tom Cotton calls on Biden administration to boycott 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing

WASHINGTON — Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called on the Biden administration Thursday to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics set to take place in Beijing in February because of security risks and China’s human rights abuses.

“I call on the Biden Administration to mount a complete and total boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics — no athletes, no administration officials, no corporate sponsors,” said Cotton, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

There have been bipartisan calls in Congress for a diplomatic boycott, which would prevent U.S. government officials from attending the games, including from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who oversaw the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, also called for an economic boycott, meaning that U.S. corporations would not sponsor Olympic activities and U.S. spectators would be asked not to attend, though he has said he believes athletes should still be able to compete.

Asked about the possibility of the boycott during an Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada on Thursday, Biden responded that it was "something we are considering."

In calling for a complete boycott, including the athletes, Cotton said that the Biden administration has “no plan” to protect U.S. athletes, their coaches and their staffs at the Olympics from the dangers posed by China.

The GOP senator alleged a number of security issues such as “ubiquitous surveillance,” including in bathroom facilities and on electronic devices.

“We should boycott these games because of China's crimes against the United States and the civilized world and its own people,” he continued, citing China's treatment of the Uyghur population. The Biden administration earlier this year slapped sanctions on two Chinese government officials over the mistreatment of the country's ethnic minorities.

Cotton added that “it’s probably too little, too late” for any sort of legislative efforts to boycott the Olympics, though he said he believed the administration will soon announce a diplomatic boycott.

Three congressmen introduced a resolution in February calling for the U.S. to boycott the games if the IOC were to keep the games in Beijing.