Should the US boycott the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games?

Should The US Boycott the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games? | Rep. Mike Waltz's Perspective | GZERO World

Florida Congressman Mike Waltz has called for a US boycott of the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. Waltz, a conservative Republican and Trump supporter, makes his case not for military or economic reasons but for humanitarian grounds: "I don't see how, after unleashing Covid on the world, clearly covering it up, arresting journalists, arresting doctors, refusing to share data, and the ongoing genocide that two Secretaries of State from two different administrations have now agreed is happening, that we reward Beijing with this international platform to whitewash everything that they've done to the world."

In a conversation with Ian Bremmer, Waltz dismisses concerns that the US would be virtually alone in a boycott, citing China as an "insidious" threat because, "We're drunk on Chinese money and it's from sports, to Disney, to Wall Street, to our political class, to our universities, think tanks and political institutions." The interview on GZERO World airs on US public television starting Friday, April 23. Check local listings.

Watch the GZERO World with Ian Bremmer episode.

More from GZERO Media

In this new episode of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Ted Sarandos to discuss how bold leadership and a culture of innovation keep Netflix ahead, not just as a media company, but as a force shaping both industries and audiences. Ted shares how intuition and data combine to turn daring ideas into practical solutions, from scaling storytelling across 190 countries to relentlessly creating content that gets under the skin of viewers and makes them feel deeply connected to the stories they watch. Subscribe and find new episodes monthly, wherever you listen to podcasts.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on October 24, 2025.
Sputnik/Alexey Babushkin/Pool via REUTERS

The US president imposed sanctions on the two largest Russian oil firms. The effectiveness of this strategy depends on whether it forces China and India to stop buying Russian crude.

- YouTube

The real US-China AI race isn’t about who builds the most powerful technology, but who applies and governs it in ways that strengthen—rather than undermine—society, Tristan Harris tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.