Sen. Tim Scott on Sunday defended President Donald Trump against criticism that he’s singling out minorities in slams aimed at college and profession athletes.
In an interview on ABC News’ “This Week,” the South Carolina Republican asserted Trump “doesn’t seem to discriminate from my perspective,” but rather “attacks anyone he believes or perceives is attacking him or the country.”
“If you’re going to steal, and you’re going to steal in China, and someone gets you out of that, you ought to say ‘thank you,’ and they should say ‘you’re welcome,’” Scott said referring to Trump’s ongoing feud with UCLA player LiAngelo Ball’s father LaVar Ball.
The UCLA players apologized and thanked Trump, but Trump blasted the elder Ball for refusing to acknowledge the president’s role in bringing his son home. For his part, Trump called Ball an “ungrateful fool.”
“The reality of it is, for a high-profile athlete to go the China and steal, and then the president of the United States, who obviously has a very precarious and provocative relationship with sports completely, to bail you out, I think, deserves a ‘thank you’ without having to be asked for it,” Scott added.
“There is no doubt that if he were singling out minorities in the basketball situation, he singled them out in a positive way,” Scott said.
“The reality is, having the president of the United States step in to help you out when you're in China, that is a powerful move that likely brought those fellows home without having to miss Thanksgiving with their family,” he said.
“Because truth is, there could have been some really negative consequences to those young folks.”
Trump’s has also bitterly criticized the NFL for not punishing players who refuse to stand for the national anthem in a protest of racial injustice.
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