The First Lady of the United States has released a statement regarding NBA player and philanthropist LeBron James, the day after her husband insulted James’ intelligence on Twitter.
James recently opened a school for underprivileged children in his Ohio hometown and discussed polices, race, and the president during an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon. After the interview re-aired Friday night, Trump tweeted that Lemon “made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do.”
The First Lady’s statement is below, via her spokesperson Stephanie Grisham:
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. As you know, Mrs. Trump has traveled the country and world talking to children about their well-being, healthy living, and the importance of responsible online behavior with her Be Best initiative. Her platform centers around visiting organizations, hospitals and schools, and she would be open to visiting the I Promise School in Akron.
It is noteworthy that the First Lady felt the need to issue a response, rather than staying silent or refusing to comment.
And, although the statement only mentions James, not Lemon or CNN, spokesperson Grisham tweeted about CNN today.
Lemon had tweeted the below in response to Trump:
Who’s the real dummy? A man who puts kids in classrooms or one who puts kids in cages? #BeBest https://t.co/XO50qVksnR
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) August 4, 2018
Meanwhile, CNN’s communications team had responded directly to Trump’s tweet:
Sounds like @FLOTUS had the remote last night. 📺 We hope you both saw the incredible work of @KingJames. #BeBesthttps://t.co/3Ok0z9Z6Ro
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) August 4, 2018
Both Lemon and the CNN communications team use the hashtag #BeBest, which is the First Lady’s campaign to urge children to be kind and respectful and not to engage in cyber-bullying.
And Grisham revealed that she thought CNN’s uses of #BeBest were inappropriate:
#BeBest is a sincere campaign meant to help children. Not something for @CNN to use to mock @POTUS https://t.co/WRJqscOHW4
— Stephanie Grisham (@StephGrisham45) August 4, 2018
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent those of any other individual or entity. Follow Sarah on Twitter: @sarahmquinlan.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member