Melania praises LeBron James after Trump insults NBA star

The First Lady is open to visiting LeBron James new public school, I Promise School, in Akron

August 05, 2018 09:30 pm | Updated 09:30 pm IST - Washington

 First lady Melania Trump. File

First lady Melania Trump. File

Melania Trump has praised LeBron James for his charity work, saying she is open to visiting his new public school, hours after her husband Donald Trump questioned the NBA superstar’s intelligence.

Mr. Trump posted a scathing tweet questioning Mr. James’ intelligence after the three-time champion said in an interview that the President was “using sports to kinda divide people” and he would “never sit across from him”.

In a volley of late-night tweets, Mr. Trump publicly lashed out at Mr. James, questioning his intelligence and terming his interviewer from CNN Don Lemon as the “dumbest man” on television.

“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!” Mr. Trump tweeted.

“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,” Melania’s spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.

“As you know, Mrs Trump has travelled the country and world talking to children about their well-being, healthy living, and the importance of responsible online behaviour with her Be Best initiative. Her platform centers around visiting organisations, hospitals and schools, and she would be open to visiting the I Promise School in Akron,” she said in a statement to CNN .

Mr. James recently opened the school for underprivileged children in his home town of Akron, Ohio. He said the school prioritised a holistic experience for students that include sports, which he described as critical for healthy communities.

Many professional athletes, including basketball legend Michael Jordan, have been critical of Mr. Trump’s statements.

“I support LJ. He’s doing an amazing job for his community,” Mr. Jordan said in a statement.

Mr. James, one of the most prominent athletes in the U.S., has been critical of Mr. Trump for years.

Last year, he called Mr. Trump a “bum” for rescinding his invitation to the Golden State Warriors to celebrate their basketball championship with a visit to the White House.

“Going to the White House was a great honour until you showed up!” Mr. James had tweeted.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.