"The thing is that we elected George Bush, that is worse" - When Martina Navratilova slammed US government and got back her Czech citizenship
Martina Navratilova has always been outspoken when it comes to issues she believes are wrong, and this was no exception when she publicly criticized former US President George W. Bush. She expressed her disappointment, saying she felt "ashamed" of America under his leadership.
Unlike the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, which came to power through the 1948 coup d'état, Navratilova noted that Bush had been democratically elected, which made her frustration even more pronounced.
In a 2007 interview with the Czech daily Lidove Noviny, the 18-time Grand Slam champion, who strongly opposed President Bush's policies—especially on issues like the Iraq War, LGBTQ+ rights, and social justice—said:
" Now, I can be ashamed of what is happening in America. The thing is that we elected Bush. That is worse! Against that, nobody chose a communist government in Czechoslovakia."
"It is not as bad as it was here. But it is true, that censorship exists there. I have a sticker on my car which says 'regime change begins at home,'" she added.
Martina Navratilova left Czechoslovakia in 1975 as a teenager due to political reasons. At the time, Czechoslovakia was under a communist regime that heavily restricted personal freedoms, including travel and expression. As a rising tennis star, she faced limitations on her ability to compete internationally and sought more freedom to pursue her career.
She defected to the United States, applied for political asylum, and eventually became a US citizen in 1981. This move led the Czech government to strip her of her Czechoslovak citizenship.
After the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989 and the subsequent split of the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Navratilova regained her Czech citizenship in 2008 while retaining her American citizenship.
Martina Navratilova: "George W. Bush is lying through his teeth but nobody seems to care"
In a 2012 interview with Ace Magazine, Martina Navratilova didn’t mince words when criticizing George W. Bush, saying he "lied all the time," yet no one seemed to hold him accountable. She added that Americans have a hard time dealing with the truth.
"American people have a hard time handling the truth. George W. Bush, for example, is lying through his teeth but nobody seems to care . . . well not enough people seem to care," she said.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion also expressed her openness to pursuing a political career someday if she felt she could make a meaningful impact:
"If, down the road, I feel I will be able to make a difference in the political arena then I will get involved. I think it's always your duty to do your part, if you can."
"I am able to answer questions okay, but I am not an off-the-cuff speaker. I am unable to start speaking for 15 minutes about anything, also I am not a 'seller,'" she added.