President Joe Biden said “rules are rules” when asked about Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension from the Olympic Team following a positive drug test.
“Everybody knows what the rules were going in,” the president told reporters. “Whether those should remain the rules is a different issue.”
New: I asked @POTUS if he thought @itskerrii’s suspension was fair?
Biden said the “rules are the rules” but questioned if they should remain that way.“I was really proud of the way she responded,” he adds. pic.twitter.com/3HNIzTbeCw
— Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) July 3, 2021
Richardson, a track and field sprinter, tested positive for THC, a compound of marijuana, and was subsequently suspended from the U.S. Olympic team. She appeared on the Today Show where she apologized.
She said, “I’m not making any excuses or looking for any empathy in my case.” She further explained her use of marijuana was an attempt to help her cope with her mother’s passing.
Sha’Carri Richardson (@itskerrii) joins us live for an exclusive interview to discuss the positive marijuana test that’s put her Olympic future in limbo. pic.twitter.com/iVBp3zhvja
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 2, 2021
Richardson’s positive drug test followed her 100-meter dash win at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on June 19 in Eugene, Oregon. She accepted a 1-month suspension and therefore “forfeits any medals, points, and prizes” from her U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100 meters, according to a statement from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Her suspension still leaves the possibility she can participate in other events, according to ESPN.
Biden’s response is at odds with some on the left and the right, including Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who said that casual marijuana use should not be grounds for removal from the Olympic team.
Recreational marijuana is currently legal in 19 states, according to U.S. News.