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 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 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 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who oversaw the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, also called for an economic boycott, meaning U.S. corporations would not sponsor Olympic activities and U.S. spectators would be asked not to attend, although he has said he believes athletes should still be able to compete.

Asked Thursday about the possibility of a boycott at a meeting in the Oval Office with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden said it was "something we are considering."

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

He alleged a number of security issues, such as "ubiquitous surveillance," including in bathroom facilities and on electronic devices.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFood banks overwhelmed by Trump cuts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSInflation and tariffs push U.S. holiday spending projections to a record $1.7 trillion

FOR SUBSCRIBERSWhat happened inside the room where officials tried to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHow we reported the saga of the CIA officer and his gold-bar stash

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘We’re going to beat you to death with audits’: Brad Raffensperger gears up to oversee his final election in Georgia

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDiddy is punished following NBC News report on his VIP life in prison and contraband cellphone use

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Too young to vote, old enough to be tear gassed’: French protesters’ anger swells

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDOJ gets aggressive in suing states that challenge Trump’s immigration policies

FOR SUBSCRIBERSJustice Department seeks criminal charge for former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘I just want to hold him’: USS Lincoln sailor to meet his 10-month-old son as ship docks

FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenate candidates run on raising Social Security taxes for higher incomes to prevent benefit cuts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRussian operation that used ChatGPT tricked schools, a politician and media, OpenAI says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump administration’s deal with Nevada fuels data center fight in governor’s race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSLatino voters reject Trump’s immigration policies — and detail the personal impact

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAs Democrats eye big midterm gains, the Wisconsin governor’s race remains a nail-biter

Slide 1 of 1

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

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFood banks overwhelmed by Trump cuts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSInflation and tariffs push U.S. holiday spending projections to a record $1.7 trillion

FOR SUBSCRIBERSWhat happened inside the room where officials tried to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHow we reported the saga of the CIA officer and his gold-bar stash

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘We’re going to beat you to death with audits’: Brad Raffensperger gears up to oversee his final election in Georgia

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDiddy is punished following NBC News report on his VIP life in prison and contraband cellphone use

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Too young to vote, old enough to be tear gassed’: French protesters’ anger swells

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDOJ gets aggressive in suing states that challenge Trump’s immigration policies

FOR SUBSCRIBERSJustice Department seeks criminal charge for former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘I just want to hold him’: USS Lincoln sailor to meet his 10-month-old son as ship docks

FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenate candidates run on raising Social Security taxes for higher incomes to prevent benefit cuts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRussian operation that used ChatGPT tricked schools, a politician and media, OpenAI says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump administration’s deal with Nevada fuels data center fight in governor’s race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSLatino voters reject Trump’s immigration policies — and detail the personal impact

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAs Democrats eye big midterm gains, the Wisconsin governor’s race remains a nail-biter

Slide 1 of 1

Cotton added that "it's probably too little, too late" for any sort of legislative effort to boycott the Olympics. He said he believed the administration will soon announce a diplomatic boycott.

Three members of Congress introduced a resolution in February calling for the U.S. to boycott the Games if the International Olympic Committee were to keep them in Beijing.