>>> AMERICAN ICON, OLYMPIC
GYMNAST SIMONE BILES HAS NOW
WITHDRAWN FROM ALL-AROUND
INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION AFTER
LEAVING YESTERDAYS TEAM FINAL.
THE FACT THAT SHE MAY OR MAY NOT
COMPETE IN THE EVENTS IS OF
SECONDARY IMPORTANCE.
INSTEAD, THE FOCUS IS ON HER
WELL-BEING.
PHYSICALLY SHE IS FINE BUT
EMOTIONALLY AND MENTALLY IT IS
NOT THE SAME STORY.
SO BRAVELY SHES TAKING A STEP
BACK.
THE REACTION BACK HOME HAS BEEN
LARGELY POSITIVE, LOVING IN
FACT.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WHAT WELL
CALL THE USUAL SUSPECTS.
PEOPLE MOSTLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
WHO DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS
PATRIOTS, BUT WHO HAVE ALSO IN
RECENT DAYS AND WEEKS ATTACKED
U.S. MILITARY LEADERS, AMERICAN
POLICE, SCIENTISTS, VACCINES,
ALL THAT STUFF.
YOU KNOW, THE GOOD STUFF.
JOINING OUR CONVERSATION, JEMELE
HILL, CONTRIBUTING WRITER TO THE
ATLANTIC AND THE HOST OF JEMELE
HILL IS UNBOTHERED PODCAST.
ALSO JOINING US PAUL RIECKHOFF,
PRESIDENT OF RIGHTEOUS MEDIA AND
THE HOST OF THE INDEPENDENT
AMERICANS MAUDEPODCAST.
WE FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER.
WE KNOW HES WEARING FLIP-FLOPS.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU GUYS WHAT I
REALLY THOUGHT WHEN I SAW THIS.
MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS JUST THIS
ACHE FOR THIS JEWEL.
SHES ONE OF THE WORLDS
PREEMINENT
PREEMINENT ATHLETES.
SHES EXQUISITE.
AND I FOUND IT SOUL CRUSHING TO
SEE A LITTLE POCKET OF, YOU
KNOW, DOUGHY, WHITE,
RIGHT-LEANING LOSERS WHO
PROBABLY HAVE A HARD TIME
GETTING DATES ATTACK HER.
AND I THINK IF WE WANT TO KNOW
THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION HOW
FED UP IS OUR COUNTRY, JUST
LOOK AT THE REACTION TO WHAT
HAPPENED THIS WEEK IN TOKYO WITH
SIMONE BILES.
YOU FIRST, JEMELE.
>> WELL, I AGREE WITH YOU.
SIMONE BILES IS EXTRAORDINARY.
I THINK WHAT WE FORGET IS WHAT
SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH ON A
PERSONAL LEVEL.
SHES THE ONLY ATHLETE WHOS
COMPETING -- OR ONLY GYMNAST
THATS COMPETING IN THESE
OLYMPICS THAT WAS VICTIMIZED BY
LARRY NASSAR.
THE ONLY REASON SHE DECIDED TO
COMPETE IN THIS OLYMPICS IS
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERES A NEW
CROP OF GYMNASTS.
I THINK SHE TAKES HER
RESPONSIBILITY AS AN AMBASSADOR
VERY SERIOUSLY.
SO TO THINK THAT SOME PART OF
THAT WOULD NOT WEIGH IN ON HER
OR WEIGH ON HER IS REALLY --
ITS ASKING A LOT.
AND SO IN ADDITION TO THE FACT
THAT SIMONE BILES ESSENTIALLY IS
THE GREATEST GYMNAST EVER, SHE
IS, SHE HAS DONE THINGS SO
EXTRAORDINARY THAT THEY CANT
EVEN REALLY FIGURE OUT HOW TO
SCORE HER.
THATS HOW GOOD THAT SHE IS.
SO TO ACT AS IF SIMONE BILES
OWED US ANYTHING IS CRAZY.
THIS WOMAN HAS GIVEN THIS SPORT
EVERYTHING.
EVEN WHEN THE POWERS THAT BE
ENABLED SOMEBODY TO VIOLATE HER,
SHE STILL GAVE IT HER ALL.
SO FOR PEOPLE TO QUESTION HOW
MENTALLY TOUGH SHE IS, I FIND
THAT TO BE DISGUSTING.
>> PAUL, I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU
ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
I WANT TO READ YOU A TWEET FROM
MARTIN DEMPSEY THAT CAUGHT MY
EYE LAST NIGHT.
WHERE THERES NO STRUGGLE,
THERES NO STRENGTH.
OPRAH WINFREY.
PUTTING TEAM BEFORE SELF.
SIMONE BILES SHOWED REAL
STRENGTH TODAY.
HOPE TO SEE HER BACK SOON, BUT
IN THE MEAN TIME BY HER EXAMPLE
SHE REMINDS US THAT CHARACTER
MATTERS.
I SAW SEVERAL TWEETS CALLING
SIMONE BILES WEAK.
COMPARED TO WHO?
THAT WOULD BE LAUGHABLE EXCEPT
THAT ITS INTENDED TO BE
HURTFUL.
ITS HARD TO GET TO THE TOP AND
EVEN HARDER TO STAY THERE.
WE SHOULD EXPECT NO MORE OF OUR
HEROES THAN WE DO OF OURSELVES.
OUR BEST.
THIS VEIN HAS BEEN TAPPED WHERE
DEFENDING OUR HEROES NOW FALLS
TO SOME OF OUR MILITARY LEADERS
WHO ARE ALSO UNDER ATTACK PIE
SOME OF THE SAME CHARACTERS.
EXPLAIN.
>> WELL, THERE IS SOME PARALLELS
THERE, BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
SIMONE BILES, SHE IS A TRUE
AMERICAN HERO.
SHES A TRUE PATRIOT.
SHES A TRUE BAD ASS.
SHES AN INSPIRATION TO PEOPLE
AROUND THE WORLD NOT JUST
BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE DOES IN THE
OLYMPICS BUT WHAT SHE DOES IN
THE COMMUNITY AND AS AN EXAMPLE
AND AS A LEADER.
SHES WHAT YOU WANT YOUNG MEN
AND WOMEN TO BE.
SHES WHAT WE WANT YOUNG MEN AND
WOMEN IN AMERICA TO BE.
THIS IS WHAT RIGHT LOOKS LIKE.
YOU KNOW, I DONT LIKE TO FEED
THE TROELZLLS.
I DONT WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
HATERS AND PEOPLE WHO WANT TO
LEARN HER DOWN.
BUT THERE IS A LEARNING LESSON
HERE.
I COACH T-BALL AND FLAG FOOTBALL
AND THEY ARE TAUGHT TO BE
TEAMMATES.
TO PUT THE TEAM ABOVE
THEMSELVES.
IF THEYRE HURT, TO STEP OFF
BECAUSE THATS FOR THE
BETTERMENT OF THE TEAM.
SHES SHOWING TREMENDOUS
STRENGTH THERE.
TO ATTACK HER IS NOT JUST
DESPICABLE, ITS DANGEROUS,
BECAUSE IT WILL DISCOURAGE OTHER
PEOPLE FROM COMING FORWARD AND
SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT,
FROM SAYING THAT THEYRE HAVING
PROBLEMS.
SHOWING THAT YOU NEED HELP IS A
SIGN OF STRENGTH.
THATS THE REALLY IMPORTANT
MOMENT HERE.
SO HER IMPACT IN THIS MOMENT MAY
BE EVEN GREATER THAN THE IMPACT
SHES HAD IN THE OLYMPICS
BECAUSE SHES UNDOUBTEDLY SAVING
LIVES.
SHES ENCOURAGING OTHER PEOPLE
TO COME FORWARD NO MATTER WHAT
THESE HATERS ON CABLE NEWS OR IN
CONGRESS HAVE TO SAY.
>> LET ME FOLLOW UP WITH YOU,
PAUL, BECAUSE THERE IS A
PARALLEL.
I REMEMBER BEING SO HAUNTED BY
THE BOOK "THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SERVICE" ABOUT SOME OF THE
WOUNDS YOU CANNOT SEE FROM IRAQ
AND AFGHANISTAN BEING THE
HARDEST FOR VETERANS TO SORT OF
DEAL WITH AND COME HOME WITH,
PTSD AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE.
AND I WONDER WHAT HER -- WHAT
SHE SORT OF TAPPED IN TERMS OF
MAKING A MENTAL HEALTH SETBACK
AS GRAVE AS SOME PHYSICAL INJURY
THAT WE COULD ALL SEE.
>> WELL, MENTAL HEALTH IS TOTAL
HEALTH.
WEVE BEEN TRYING TO HAVE THIS
CONVERSATION IN AMERICA FOR OVER
20 YEARS.
FOR 15 YEARS IVE BEEN WORKING
IN THE VETERAN SPACE TRYING TO
CHANGE THE DIALOGUE AROUND
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, TRYING TO
EXPLAIN POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS
DISORDER AND SUICIDE AND WEVE
MADE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS.
BUT LETS IMAGINE THIS CRITICISM
FOCUSED ON SOMEONE DIFFERENT.
IMAGINE IF IT WAS FOCUSED ON A
NAVY S.E.A.L. OR GREEN BERET WHO
SAID IM GOING IN TO GET BIN
LADEN BUT IM NOT FEELING ALL
RIGHT, IM NOT FEELING READY FOR
THE MISSION SO IM GOING TO TAKE
MYSELF OUT OF THE MISSION.
WHO WOULD CALL THAT PERSON A
COWARD?
I WOULD HOPE NO ONE BUT IN THIS
NEW NORMAL THAT MAN OR WOMAN
WOULD PROBABLY BE UNDER ATTACK
TOO.
BUT THERES AN EXAMPLE THAT
SIMONE BILES IS SETTING AND MANY
VETERANS WILL SET THAT I HOPE
WILL CASCADE DOWN ACROSS OUR
COUNTRY AND ESPECIALLY TO YOUNG
PEOPLE.
IF YOU NEED HELP, REACH OUT.
IF YOU NEED HELP, YOU WILL BE
SUPPORTED, THERES HELP OUT
THERE AND YOURE NOT ALONE.
THATS THE MESSAGE.
IGNORE THE HATERS, FOCUS ON YOUR
TOTAL HEALTH AND YOULL BE
STRONGER FOR IT.
>> JEMELE, I WANT YOUR THOUGHTS
ON THAT BUT I WANT TO PUT OUT
THERE A BRILLIANT JEMELE QUOTE
HERE AND GET YOU TO EXPAND ON
THIS AS WELL.
YOU SAID THIS BACK IN JUNE.
AS IMPRESSIVE AS HER CONSISTENT
DOMINANCE IS, WHAT BILES HAS
COME TO MEAN TO BLACK CULTURE,
TO WOMEN, AND ESPECIALLY THE
BLACK WOMEN, IS BIGGER THAN HER
ALL-OUT ASSAULT ON THE RECORD
BOOKS.
HER EXCELLENCE IS AN ACT OF
RESISTANCE.
SHE IS OPENLY MOCKING
EXPECTATIONS ABOUT WHAT SHE
SHOULD OR SHOULDNT DO.
THROUGH HER PERFORMANCES SHE IS
CREATING A PREVIOUSLY
INCONCEIVABLE NEW STANDARD FOR
HER SPORT.
>> WELL, THE REASON THAT I WROTE
THAT, NICOLLE, WAS JUST BECAUSE
THE ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT
SIMONE BILES AND STILL LOVE
ABOUT HER IS SHES SO
UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT HER GREATNESS
AND HER DOMINANCE.
THIS IS A VERY SELF-AWARE WOMAN.
THATS WHY IM NOT SURPRISED
THAT SHE WAS SELF-AWARE ENOUGH
TO KNOW THAT SHE DIDNT HAVE IT
BECAUSE SHE WAS ON HOWEVER GRAND
SHE HAS MADE IT BE, SHE KNOWS
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
ANYBODY WHO FOLLOWS GYMNASTICS
KNOWS THAT GIVEN WHAT THEYRE
DOING WITH THEIR BODIES AND AT
SUCH A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND
SUCH A DANGEROUS DEGREE OF
DIFFICULTY, ESPECIALLY HER, WHO
HAS FOUR MOVES NAMED AFTER HER,
THAT THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF BEING
OFF, OF NOT BEING COMPLETELY
MENTALLY THERE, NOT BEING
FOCUSED ENOUGH, AND SHE COULD
WIND UP SERIOUSLY HURT.
IT WAS A COMPLETE ACT OF
SELFLESSNESS FOR HER TO TAKE
HERSELF OUT OF COMPETITION SO
THAT SHE WOULDNT HURT THE REST
OF HER AMERICAN TEAMMATES.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DONT SEEM
TO GET THAT.
AGAIN, SIMONE BILES HAS NOTHING
TO PROVE TO YOU, ESPECIALLY NOT
TO PEOPLE WHO CERTAINLY HAVE
NEVER EXHIBITED ANY LEVEL OF THE
SAME MENTAL FORTITUDE AND
STRENGTH THAT SHE HAS.
SHE HAS ALREADY PROVEN TO BE ONE
OF THE BEST ATHLETES OF ALL
TIME.
SHES ALREADY THE GREATEST
GYMNAST EVER.
SO TO ME SHE UNDERSTOOD THE
ASSIGNMENT, ACCOMPLISHED THE
MISSION.
IF SHE -- IF SHE NEEDED A MENTAL
BREAK, SHE KNOWS HERSELF BETTER
THAN WE DO AND SO I THINK THIS
IS A TIME FOR PEOPLE TO JUST
FALL BACK AND SUPPORT HER.
I GUARANTEE YOU, NICOLLE, THE
PEOPLE CRITICIZING SIMONE BILES