Trump Attacks Don Lemon As 'Dumbest Man on Television'
President Donald Trump issued a twofer smackdown on Twitter Friday, jabbing both CNN’s Don Lemon and NBA star and Trump critic LeBron James.
“Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!” Trump tweeted.
Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2018
The “Mike” referred to at the end of the tweet was Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls superstar, according to Fox News.
The tweet drew criticism from media and political figures.
This is apparently what the President of the United States feels the need to share with the world at what should be long past his bedtime? It's a disgrace. It's racist. And it's the product of petty but dangerous hatreds. I repeat this is the PRESIDENT??!? https://t.co/MA8nZUxFc7
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) August 4, 2018
Rather than criticizing @KingJames, we should be celebrating him for his charity work and efforts to help kids.
By the way, all-around he’s better than Michael Jordan. That’s a fact.
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) August 4, 2018
Seething on Twitter against Don Lemon and Lebron James is not normal or sane.
Doing it at midnight is even less normal and sane.
Forget impeachment.
How the hell is Donald Trump not committed to the loony bin?#PresidentLoco— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) August 4, 2018
During the interview, James continued his attacks on the president, who James has criticized for demanding that athletes stand for the national anthem. James has said that if a team he was on wins the NBA championship, he would not visit the White House while Trump is president.
“What I’ve noticed over the last few months is that he’s kind of used sports to kind of divide us,” James said, according to The Daily Caller.
"What I've noticed over the last few months that [@realDonaldTrump] kinda used sport to kinda divide us, and that's something that I can't relate to."
–LeBron James @KingJamesTRUMP is using sports to divide us?!? When did Trump take a knee during the national anthem? pic.twitter.com/XJTmDniqJe
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) August 4, 2018
James was interviewed by Lemon on Monday. The interview was re-broadcast on Friday.
In it, James was asked what he would say if he sat down with Trump.
“I would never sit across from him,” James said, according to CNN.
James also said he would not run for office, but singled out Trump as an exception.
“If someone tried to recruit a LeBron to run for president, they said, ‘Listen, they’ve got no one, if you don’t run, Trump’s going to win,’ would you run?” Lemon asked James, according to NBC.
“Well, in that case, I may,” James said.
Trump has demanded that National Football League players stand for the national anthem, a stance that came in response to the trend of players kneeling for the anthem as a form of protest.
Last month, Trump sounded off on a new NFL policy that requires all players on the field when the anthem is played to stand but allows those who do not want to stand to remain in the locker room.
“How about the NFL? Look, I don’t want to cause controversy. … I don’t want to cause controversy,” Trump said during a Michigan rally, according to CBS.
“But how about they pass this stupid thing — ‘You don’t have to do this anymore. If you don’t respect the flag, or you don’t like the country or whatever it is, just go into the locker room.’ I think in many respects that’s worse. Isn’t that worse than not standing? I think that’s worse. So they say ‘Go into the locker room’ and the anthem is getting ready to play, they run into the locker room then they come back out,” Trump said, adding, “You know what? It doesn’t play. I actually think in many ways it’s worse.”
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