Trump accused LeBron James of racism and sparked a new scandal
U.S. President Donald Trump found himself at the center of public attention following a statement about legendary basketball player LeBron James. During a press conference at the White House, the U.S. leader suggested that the athlete holds racist views, which sparked a strong reaction.
While speaking with reporters, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked Trump to take a side in the long-standing debate over who is the greatest basketball player in history—Michael Jordan or LeBron James. The question came shortly after news broke of James’s move to Philadelphia.
The president, without hesitation, chose the Chicago Bulls legend. “Michael Jordan is my friend; I play golf with him. He’s a really great guy. As for LeBron... Maybe he’s a racist, or maybe he just doesn’t like Trump. I don’t know. I only like people who like me, so I definitely choose Michael Jordan,” Trump said.
LeBron James himself has not yet responded to the president’s remarks. At the same time, the conflict between them has been going on for many years. The basketball player has repeatedly criticized Trump publicly and supported his political opponents in the presidential elections—Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Kamala Harris in 2024.
During the same press conference, Trump also commented on other sports-related topics. In particular, he criticized the decision by the officials at The Open Championship, who penalized American golfer Bryson DeChambeau with two penalty strokes for a rules violation during his pre-shot routine. In addition, the president confirmed that he had previously appealed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the disciplinary action taken against U.S. national team forward Folarin Balogun following the 2026 World Cup.
Source: Sky Sport
Earlier, Trump joked about a third term in the White House.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran is allegedly interested in reaching agreements with the United States; however, in his opinion, Tehran is not yet ready for serious negotiations. At the same time, the American leader highlighted the successes of the military operation against Iran and the significant weakening of its military capabilities.
