Republicans are not happy about Last Supper portrayal at the Olympics

The Paris Olympics is under fire from Republicans after hosting a controversial drag parody of a moment Christians consider sacred. 

As viewers tuned in to watch the Paris Olympic’s opening ceremony, many decried a segment that depicted a scene from Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Da Vinci’s famous painting of a Biblical event revered by Christians depicts Jesus Christ’s disciples gathered around him as he reveals who will betray him. 

On Friday evening, drag queens recreated the painting, posing as the disciples while Jesus was portrayed as a woman. 

Critics immediately took to social media to decry the portrayal as blasphemous, describing it as insensitive to people with religious beliefs. 

Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), a professing Christian, called the incident “an intentional choice to mock Christianity and Christians” in a post to X. The Alabama conservative’s colleague from the upper chamber and fellow believer, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), also criticized the Olympic scene.

“Detestable,” he said, decrying the incident on X. 

Meanwhile, tech mogul Elon Musk, a self-described “cultural Christian,” decried the moment as “extremely disrespectful” to the Christian community in a similar post to X. 

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker also posted a scriptural rebuke on X, warning against mocking God. The three-time Super Bowl champion and conservative Catholic drew ire in May for discussing “the difficult and unpleasant things” that “we are told in polite society to not bring up.” During his commencement speech at Benedictine College, Butker spoke out against “ dangerous gender ideologies” pushed by the Left. 

The drag-themed imagery of religious figures also drew pushback from ex-transgender influencer Oli London.

“Olympics openly mocks Jesus’ Last Supper as drag queens dressed as women play the role of disciples while a plus size woman appears in the middle symbolizing Jesus wearing a giant crown.” 

The opening ceremony was spearheaded by Thomas Jolly, a queer artistic director. Jolly defended his work ahead of the event, telling British Vogue that he wanted “everyone to feel represented.” 

French President Emanuel Macron deflected criticism from Jolly, praising the artistic director on Friday evening as he celebrated the games. 

“Thanks to Thomas Jolly and his creative genius for this grandiose ceremony,” Macron said in a post to X. “Thank you to the artists for this unique and magical moment, Thank you to the police and emergency services, agents and volunteers. Thank you to everyone who believed in it. We’ll talk about it again in 100 years! WE DID IT!” 

The theme for the Olympics is “Games Wide Open,” interpreted by the head of the organizing committee for the Games, Tony Estanguet to mean “the power to open our hearts and minds, to stop seeing differences as obstacles.”