Just before Simone Biles led the United States into the women's gymnastics team final at the 2024 Olympics, a video surfaced of North Carolina lieutenant governor Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor in 2024, launching a vicious attack on her at a 2021 campaign event. 

As most of us know, Biles pulled out of several events at the 2020 Olympics after several mental health issues led her to experience the "twisties," or loss of air awareness, at numerous points during the competition. But none of that mattered to Robinson. He called Biles "a weak little gymnast that quits when the going gets tough." 

Robinson went on to say that people of his generation were "cut from a different cloth." Apparently it didn't occur to Robinson that Biles pulled out for her own safety; had she pressed through, she risked serious injury. This cheap shot is even more outrageous considering that Robinson is old enough to be Biles' father. 

What Robinson said was outrageous, callous, and heartless in 2021, and it is equally so now. The thought that such a man could even potentially be a state governor should send a chill down anyone's spine. If Robinson has anything in him, he will apologize to Biles and her family.