President Donald Trump
Bulls great Jordan jumps to defense of LeBron James
lambastes NBA star LeBron James via tweet, sparking new accusations of racism.
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — President Donald Trump faced renewed accusations of racism Saturday after mocking Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James in a late-night tweet that derided the intelligence of one of the nation’s most prominent African-American men.
Trump blasted James after seemingly watching an interview the former Cleveland Cavaliers star did earlier in the week with CNN anchor Don Lemon in which he deemed Trump divisive. Although James has long been a Trump critic, calling the president a “bum” in 2017, the Friday night tweet was Trump’s first attack on the player, who just opened up a school for underprivileged children in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
“Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon,” Trump wrote. “He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do.”
Trump then appeared to weigh in on the growing debate over who is the greatest NBA player of all time, James or Michael Jordan, by writing “I like Mike!”
Many former and current professional athletes, including Jordan, jumped to James’ defense.
“I support LeBron James. He’s doing an amazing job for his community,” Jordan, the former Chicago Bulls superstar, said in a statement to The Associated Press through his representative via text Saturday.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request to clarify Trump’s remarks. At a raucous rally outside Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, Trump stumped for Ohio state Sen. Troy Balderson but steered clear of any further mention of James, who remains very popular in the Buckeye State.
“I don’t have to tell anyone what LeBron James means to Ohio,” tweeted Democrat Danny O'Connor, who is running against Balderson.
Pro football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe tweeted Saturday: “It should be beneath the dignity of a sitting POTUS to take racist shots at D. Lemon and Lebron James.”
Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for Melania Trump, said Saturday that it appears that James is “working to do good things on behalf of our next generation” and that the first lady would be open to visiting his new school. The statement did not criticize the president.
The president has long denounced the media and rarely lets a slight go unnoticed.
But the attack on James, who was being interviewed by another black man, to some resembled a racist dog whistle and came days after Trump deemed Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who is also black, “an extraordinarily low IQ person.” The president’s attack on Waters has become a staple of his political rallies, and on Saturday in Ohio he again returned to the topic.
Trump has repeatedly been questioned about his views on race, from deeming many Mexican immigrants “rapists” during his campaign kickoff speech for the GOP presidential nomination to placing blame on “both sides” for the violent clash between white supremacists and counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Va., a year ago.
Trump also has been outspoken in slamming black NFL players for kneeling during the playing of the national anthem as a protest of police brutality and racial injustice. His frequent comments on that topic have led some pro sports teams, such as the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, to decline the traditional congratulatory White House visit after winning a championship.
Trump’s post about James drew immediate criticism on social media, particularly given that James was in the news for opening a school for at-risk children in Akron, funded by his foundation. That school opening was the basis for Lemon’s CNN interview. At the I Promise school, every student receives free tuition as well as free food, a uniform and a free bike.
Lemon made that connection in responding to Trump’s attack, asking in a Twitter post Saturday, “Who’s the real dummy? A man who puts kids in classrooms or one who puts kids in cages?”
Lemon was referring to the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy of separating as many as 3,000 immigrant children from their parents as they crossed the border. Some of the children were held in cages. Under pressure, and a federal court order, Trump rescinded the policy but hundreds of families remain apart.
James campaigned for Trump’s Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, in 2016.
In the CNN interview, James said he called Trump a bum in 2017 because “he kinda used sports to kinda divide us. And that’s something that I can’t relate to because I know that sports was the first time I was around someone white.”