Donald Trump went after LeBron James after his "You're Next" post, calling it "RACIST" and telling James to stick to sports.
"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,” Trump said in a statement. “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!"
LeBron tweeted a photo of the officer who shot and killed 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant and captioned "YOU'RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY" implying the officer should be prosecuted like Derek Chauvin.
Some found the post to be threatening, as U.S. Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas added,
"LeBron James is inciting violence against an Ohio police officer. This is disgraceful and dangerous."
James eventually offered an explanation for the post after the backlash, writing in a statement of his own,
"I’m so damn tired of seeing Black people killed by police. I took the tweet down because it's being used to create more hate. This isn’t about one officer," LeBron continued. "It’s about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY."
Photos by Getty Images