Sports draw in fans, build alliances, and create rivalries. You can be a fan of one team and root against another. Athletes are professionals who are paid significant sums of money—even in my youth—and rooting for them is and has always been entertaining. U.S. Olympians are in that rarified air of representing America. They are the best at what they do, and serve as ambassadors of a sort for our country.

I remember Carl Lewis jumping up and down waiting as Florence Griffith Joyner came down the line to break records in track—a record that stood until a few days ago. I remember letdowns, moments when the U.S. effort fell short. There will always be heartbreak when a beloved athlete gave supreme effort and found that, ultimately, they were outmatched by the competition. A few upsets, like Lochte-gate, made me grit my teeth.

One thing I never found myself doing, though, was rooting with absolute glee against America. Last night, after a 1-0 loss to Canada, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team was eliminated from gold medal contention. The way in which Republicans took to the internet to celebrate shows exactly the problem we face: a group of people with absolutely no accomplishments reveling in sheer spite when an athlete who challenges their political beliefs stumbles, fails, or chooses to protect their own safety.

The content is never-ending on Twitter, and it’s not worth my time or yours to go down that rabbit hole, but this comment is representative of the Republican urge to root against America.

As Simone Biles withdrew herself from Olympic events, citing the twisties, too many also began bashing her. The reality of what she faced was real—and the injury could have been devastating. They simply didn’t care. 

The false equivalence stuck from the beginning.

In 1984, Mary Lou Retton won two bronze medals and she was called “America’s Sweetheart.” People understood the level of dedication and work she put in. 

Rooting for Americans to fail is where the Republican Party is right now. They don’t want to just have a disagreement—they want to justify damning and mockery of people who disagree with them. Who benefits from this, and what drives this attitude?

I go back to thinking about the pro teams I followed, and the players I rooted for—even after they left my home town. Alex Smith was someone who was known in the Kansas City community for supporting good causes and working to help change social discussions. He made that more clear last year.

This was no surprise to anyone who knew about Smith’s charitable giving and support for foster children and the community. When Smith was subject to one of the worst injuries in the NFL, a spiral fracture of his leg, both sides took to one knee, held hands, and rooted for him to get better. Whether those people were fans of his team or were rooting for the other side did not matter.

We are a nation with ideals toward equality, individual and collective success, and above all, presenting Americans as free and equal citizens to the world. Rooting against America and our freedoms, especially against freedom of expression? Schadenfreude for America? Miss me with all of that.