"No, because I watched Jimmy Carter do it [in 1980] and it was terrible. It was terrible. It hurts the athletes. There are much more powerful things we can do than that," Trump said in an interview with Fox News, broadcast on Sunday.
The ex-president went on to say that he would like to see the US competing and winning "every single medal."
China: UK, US, Australia to 'Pay Price' for 'Mistaken Acts' Of Diplomatic Boycott of Winter Olympics
9 December 2021, 13:31 GMT
Earlier in the month, the Joe Biden administration announced that the US would not send an official delegation to the 2022 Winter Olympics due to alleged human rights violations by China. The move has been supported by several allies, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Athletes from these countries are still free to compete. China responded by saying that attempts to politicize sports violate the Olympic Charter and that the boycott "wins no support and isolates the countries themselves."