Trump takes on Ball family

President Trump directed a message at LaVar Ball on Twitter on Sunday, less than 24 hours after Ball downplayed the president’s role in helping Ball’s son, LiAngelo, and two other UCLA basketball players return to the United States after they were arrested in China for shoplifting. “Now that the three basketball players are out of China and saved from years in jail, LaVar Ball, the father of LiAngelo, is unaccepting of what I did for his son and that shoplifting is no big deal,” Trump wrote. “I should have left them in jail!” The back-and-forth between Trump and LaVar Ball stems from a situation in Hangzhou, China, this month. LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and

Cody Riley were arrested for shoplifting items, including sunglasses, from three stores while in the country to play a game against Georgia Tech. While experts in Chinese law told USA TODAY Sports that the trio would probably not face severe punishment, Trump posted on Twitter that they were in line for “10 years in jail” before he intervened. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday that he had spoken with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, about the situation on the players’ behalf. They returned to the United States less than 24 hours later and apologized in a news conference Wednesday.