In the interview, Barron outlined how the spirit of athletic competition runs counter to pushes for diversity, equity, and inclusion and how forcing DEI into the Olympics creates an inherent tension.

“Well, that’s not only unjust, but it militates against the very excellence that we’re celebrating,” Barron said.

The concept has become a political hot-button issue as critics assert that DEI often accomplishes the opposite of its goals, and can lead to its own forms of discrimination.

“I don’t think you can really have both those things at the same time,” Barron said, arguing that pushing for equity of outcome necessarily precludes separating people based on their athletic abilities.

“Well, there’s that – equality of opportunity. But then there’s equity of outcome, which our society now seems to be highly prizing; so that the outcome of a situation or a particular walk of life should correspond to, let’s say, the racial breakdown of a society, etc,” said Barron.

“Let’s say if at some point in her career, Simone Biles was told, ‘No, no, you can’t go out for the gymnastics team because you’re Black or because you’re a woman’ or whatever. Of course, that’s unjust. And that should always be fought any time at any level,” Barron said.

“She stands at the pinnacle of Olympic excellence because along the arc of her life, armies of people have been excluded. Now, what I mean is, not that they weren’t given equality of opportunity. What I mean is, well, she won a medal, which means the other people competing with her didn’t win the medal,” said Barron.

“She made team after team after team, which meant all kinds of other people that went out for the team were excluded,” Barron said.

“The Summer Games have given the DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) movement the greatest gift it could ever hope for: a picture of success that can inspire people from across the political spectrum,” Patel wrote. “I don’t see anyone calling Simone Biles or Suni Lee a “DEI hire.”

“I saw the media making a big deal about the ‘all black podium’ at the Olympics and thought it was just dumb race baiting. I didnt realize they blatantly robbed a white girl out of her medal so they could get their all black podium. Truly the DEI Olympics,” said conservative influencer Matt Walsh.

“Do you know not a single white person was selected to be on the men’s 2024 basketball team for the Olympics? Diversity, equity, and inclusion. Only when it suits you,” said an X user.

“Michael Wilbon says Caitlin Clark shouldn’t be on the Olympic team because she doesn’t deserve it. Who deserves it is what matters to Wilbon. Fair enough,” said X user Frank DeScushin. “When people argue DEI is unfair to who truly deserves it, however, then suddenly a merit argument becomes hate or racism.