Sunday August 5, 2018
Avery Anapol and Jacqueline Thomsen
First lady Melania Trump voiced support for LeBron James on Saturday after President Trump went after the NBA star on Twitter, questioning his intelligence.
A spokeswoman for Melania Trump said in a statement that James is "working to do good things" with his new school for at-risk children in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, adding that the first lady is "open to visiting" the school.
"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," first lady spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said in a statement obtained by The Hill.
Her comment came hours after the president jabbed James on Twitter and questioned his intelligence, prompting pushback and statements of support on the player's behalf.
Following CNN host Don Lemon's interview with James this week about his newly opened school, 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."
Trump also appeared to tweet his support for Michael Jordan, who is often compared to James in the debate over which athlete is the greatest NBA player.
Jordan came out in support of James earlier Saturday, saying that the NBA star is "doing an amazing job for his community."
Lemon had interviewed James about his new "I Promise" elementary school in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, which is set to serve more than 200 at-risk children and their families.
James, a longtime Cleveland Cavaliers star who recently signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, was also critical of Trump during the CNN interview, saying that the president is using sports to try to "divide" the U.S.
Lemon hit back at Trump on Saturday over the president's tweet, writing, "Who's the real dummy? A man who puts kids in classrooms or one who puts kids in cages?"
CNN also mocked Trump's comment about Lemon's interview with James, tweeting, "Sounds like @FLOTUS had the remote last night."