Former President Donald Trump is calling Lebron James’s comments about a Columbus, Ohio, police officer “divisive” and “nasty.”
In a statement on Thursday night, Trump said, “LeBron James should focus on basketball rather than presiding over the destruction of the NBA, which has just recorded the lowest television RATINGS, by far, in the long and distinguished history of the League.”
He added, “His RACIST rants are divisive, nasty, insulting, and demeaning. He may be a great basketball player, but he is doing nothing to bring our Country together!”
In a since-deleted tweet on Wednesday, James tweeted a photo of one of the officers involved in the shooting of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant, “YOU’RE NEXT. [ACCOUNTABILITY].”
James explained he later took the tweet down because “its being used to create more hate,” adding, “This isn’t about one officer. It’s about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) weighed in on the issue during an appearance on “Fox News Primetime,” as IJR reported.
“The left consistently goes after, attacks and demonizes police officers, and they do so often before the facts are known, often before there is any evidence of what happened. But their immediate reaction, whenever there is an incident, is that the police officer is in the wrong,” Cruz said.
He continued, “In this instance, ‘you’re next’ could certainly be interpreted by some, even, as a call for violence. I think it was a grossly irresponsible message for LeBron James to send out.”
The National Fraternal Order of Police took to Twitter on Wednesday to react to James’s comments.
.@KingJames, with his vast resources & influence, should educate himself and, frankly, has a responsibility to do so, on the facts before weighing in. This is disgraceful & extremely reckless.
— National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) (@GLFOP) April 21, 2021
The officer saved a young girl's life. No amount of gaslighting will change that fact. pic.twitter.com/GTHn1VAAlf
“[King James], with his vast resources [and] influence, should educate himself and, frankly, has a responsibility to do so, on the facts before weighing in. This is disgraceful and extremely reckless,” the organization tweeted.
It added, “The officer saved a young girl’s life. No amount of gaslighting will change that fact.”