"Last supper" uproar

Donald Trump’s anger at the Olympics: “A disgrace!”

US presidential candidate Donald Trump was not enthusiastic about the 'Last Supper' scene.(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Former US President Donald Trump has expressed his outrage at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. According to the presidential candidate, he is an open-minded person, but he found the "Last Supper scene" a "disgrace". 

"I'm very open-minded - but I thought it was a disgrace what they did," Trump said in his usual manner in an interview with "Fox News". In his statement, the presidential candidate referred to an upsetting scene at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris. 

In an interlude, Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" was apparently re-enacted and satirized, including by drag queens, a transgender model and a naked singer. At the upcoming Summer Games in Los Angeles 2028, such a scene would be unimaginable, explained Trump: "We will not perform a Last Supper like they did." 

Scene caused heated tempers
The former US president joins the list of critics. Protests from the Catholic Church and Christian groups in the USA immediately followed the scene. Conservative and right-wing populist politicians from Italy also expressed their displeasure. 

Anne Descamps, spokesperson for Paris 2024, recently explained: "There was never any intention to be disrespectful towards any religious group. The opening ceremony sought to celebrate community tolerance. We believe that goal was achieved. If people felt offended, we are truly sorry."

In addition, Thomas Jolly, the director of the opening ceremony, told the TV station "BFMTV" that the uproar was a misunderstanding. "The scene is not an allusion to da Vinci's 'Last Supper' at all. It is a reference to 'The Banquet of the Gods' by the painter Jan van Bijlert. However, this did not stop the debate.