No victim left behind: Melania Trump defends LeBron James after President Trump's appalling "dumb" tweet
First Lady Melania Trump came to basketball star LeBron James defense just hours after President Donald Trump insulted the sports legend by questioning his intelligence and calling him "dumb."
Melania Trump, through her spokesperson, Stephanie Grisham, presented a different viewpoint on James, who opened a new public school in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, and said that the basketball star is doing "good things on behalf of our next generation." She even added that she would like to stop by and see the school.
"It looks like LeBron James is working to do good things on behalf of our next generation. Just as she always has, the First Lady encourages everyone to have an open dialogue about issues facing children today," Grisham said on behalf of Melania Trump on Saturday afternoon, according to HuffPost.
Her statement came shortly after President Trump insulted CNN host Don Lemon and James over his appearance on the TV network.
"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 tweeted. The Republican tweeted the remark after watching an interview between James and CNN host Don Lemon on Friday, which originally aired on Monday.
Trump ended his tweet with: "I like Mike!" in an apparent reference to the ongoing debate about who is the greatest National Basketball Association (NBA) player of all times, LeBron James or Michael Jordan. James, during the CNN interview, had discussed various topics, including politics and accused Trump of enabling racists and using sports to divide the country.
The First Lady's spokesperson, however, explained her opposing view from her husband by pointing to her anti-bullying initiative called Be Best.
Melania Trump, at a launch event in May, had said that through her initiative she aimed to "shine a spotlight on the people, organizations, and programs across the country that are helping children overcome the many issues they are facing as they grow up," which describes the basketball star and his initiative well.
“[The first lady’s] platform centers around visiting organizations, hospitals, and schools, and she would be open to visiting the I Promise School in Akron,” Grisham’s statement added.