First lady comes to James’ defense
The first lady is a fan of King James.
Melania Trump appeared to break sharply from her husband Saturday, voicing support for LeBron James hours after the president insulted the NBA superstar.
A spokeswoman for the first lady praised James — an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump — for his work with children, adding that Melania Trump is open to visiting the school for underprivileged kids James founded in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
“It looks like LeBron James is working to do good things on behalf of our next generation and just as she always has, the first lady encourages everyone to have an open dialogue about issues facing children today,” the first lady’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement.
Grisham noted that the first lady’s “Be Best” initiative deals with encouraging children to conduct themselves in an honorable manner and the “importance of responsible online behavior.”
“Her platform centers around visiting organizations, hospitals and schools, and she would be open to visiting the I Promise School in Akron,” she added.
James’ “I Promise” school for at-risk kids offers free tuition, free food, a uniform and even a free bike and other forms of transportation.
The kind words from the president’s wife came hours after the he unleashed a Twitter tirade against the newly minted Los Angeles Lakers forward.
Donald Trump tweeted late Friday that James was interviewed “by the dumbest man on television,” CNN anchor Don Lemon, but that he “made Lebron (sic) look smart, which isn’t easy to do.”
The president — whose own short-lived attempt at running a school ended with a $25 million settlement after a fraud lawsuit — ended by saying, “I like Mike!”
The comment seemed to be an endorsement of Michael Jordan in the debate over whether he or James is the greatest NBA player of all time.
Jordan issued his own statement through his spokesperson to The Associated Press.
It said: “I support LeBron James. He’s doing an amazing job for his community.”
Donald Trump traveled to Ohio on Saturday evening for a campaign rally but was not scheduled to stop by James’ new school.
Instead, the president is hoping to tip the scales in a tight special election.
He is campaigning for Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson, who is running against Democrat Danny O’Connor in a House race being viewed as a bellwether for the upcoming midterms in November.