Jared Kushner wants 'common pathway' with LeBron James after slamming 'fortunate' NBA stars for Jacob Blake protest
White House senior adviser Jared Kushner has criticized NBA players’ protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake, who was hit at least seven times with police bullets. The NBA players ditched the ground on Wednesday, August 26, after Milwaukee Bucks decided not to play. In a statement, the team said that they are “calling for justice for Jacob Blake and demand the officers be held accountable.” Other professional sports leagues also showed their solidarity with the Bucks' players.
But Kushner was not happy with their decision as he told CNBC, “Look, I think that the NBA players are very fortunate that they have the financial position where they’re able to take a night off from work without having to have the consequences to themselves financially. So they have that luxury, which is great.”
He added: “Look, I think with the NBA, there’s a lot of activism, and I think that they’ve put a lot of slogans out. But I think what we need to do is turn that from slogans and signals to actual action that’s going to solve the problem.”
Later, Kushner, who is married to Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, told Politico that he plans to reach out to Lakers all-star and activist LeBron James. “If LeBron James reaches out to the White House or we reach out to him, we’re happy to talk with him and say let’s both agree on what we both want to accomplish, and let’s come up with a common pathway to get there,” he added.
However, the 39-year-old’s comments did not go down well with the people on Twitter as many slammed him for his and rudeness and ignorance. “Silver Spoon Jared Kushner calling NBA players “lucky for being able to take a night off from work” is too rich. These are grown men who have worked insanely hard to earn their jobs. Without rich parents. Unlike Jared…” wrote one. “My Harvard ‘03 classmate Jared Kushner got in because his parents donated $2.5 million to Harvard. Me? I taught myself to take the SAT there was no $ for a class. Which one of us knows something about earning our position in life, Jared?” tweeted another one while a third user added: “Jared Kushner, born into wealth and married into even more wealth, who has failed at everything he’s been tasked to do and only gotten jobs because of daddy, thinks LeBron James should solve racism.”
Silver Spoon Jared Kushner calling NBA players “lucky for being able to take a night off from work” is too rich.
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) August 27, 2020
These are grown men who have worked insanely hard to earn their jobs. Without rich parents.
Unlike Jared...pic.twitter.com/9qIyRRyNZP
My Harvard ‘03 classmate Jared Kushner got in because his parents donated $2.5 million to Harvard. Me? I taught myself to take the SAT there was no $ for a class.
— #JusticeforBreonna Prescod-Weinstein 🙅🏽♀️ (@IBJIYONGI) August 27, 2020
Which one of us knows something about earning our position in life, Jared? https://t.co/AnwQNTGsuo
Jared Kushner, born into wealth and married into even more wealth, who has failed at everything he’s been tasked to do and only gotten jobs because of daddy, thinks LeBron James should solve racism. https://t.co/Wljb5XFHGs
— Russ Bengtson (@russbengtson) August 27, 2020
On the other hand, unlike Kushner, former US President Barack Obama appreciated NBA players for their protest. He tweeted: “I commend the players on the @Bucks for standing up for what they believe in, coaches like @DocRivers, and the @NBA and @WNBA for setting an example. It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values.”
The 29-year-old Blake was shot multiple times on Sunday, August 23, as he attempted to enter a car. He was shot in the back while his three children were inside the car. After the shooting, he was taken to Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee, where he is recovering. But his family said he will need a "miracle" to walk again. “His family believes in miracles, but the medical diagnosis right now is that he is paralyzed and, because those bullets severed his spinal cord and shattered some of his vertebrae, it is going to take a miracle for Jacob Blake Jr to ever walk again," Ben Crump, the lawyer representing Blake, said.
While on August 26, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said that Blake had a knife when he was shot. The knife was on the driver's side floorboard in his car. But it was clear if he threatened the cops with it.