President Joe Biden is weighing a diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Games in China next year.
Sitting next to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a meeting at the White House on Thursday, Biden told reporters it’s “something we’re considering.”
Biden didn’t provide any more comment or details on what a potential boycott would look like.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki also declined Thursday to provide additional details on what the U.S. presence would be at the winter event, which is less than 80 days away. Psaki also declined to give a timeline for when the government will decide whether or not to bar government officials from the Beijing Games.
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The president’s remarks came two days after The Washington Post reported the administration would be announcing such a move.
Several members of Congress have called on the administration to protest the event in light of human rights abuses by the Chinese government, though a diplomatic boycott would still allow U.S. athletes to compete.
Biden met virtually with China’s Xi Jinping on Monday night, but the White House has repeatedly said the 2022 Olympics didn’t come up during their hours-long conversation.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
