First lady Melania Trump. Photo / AP
Melania Trump has gone against the President to publicly congratulate LeBron James on opening the I Promise School, in spite of her husband slamming him as dumb on Friday night.
"It looks like LeBron James is working to do good things on behalf of our next generation and just as she always has, the First Lady encourages everyone to have an open dialogue about issues facing children today," first lady spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told Associated Press on Saturday.
Melania's bold statement came just one day after senior aide Reagan Hedlund, who helped to develop the "Be Best" anti-bullying initiative, was fired, reports The Daily Mail.
FLOTUS isn't the only one to throw support behind James. Michael Jordan put professional rivalry to the side on Saturday to support James.
Trump's bizarre tweet labelled CNN's Dom Lemon as the "dumbest man on television" after his interview with LeBron James in a bizarre tweet that ended, "I like Mike!"
"Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn't easy to do. I like Mike!" Trump posted on Friday evening, appearing to reference Michael Jordan.
Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2018
The Commander-in-chief was referring to an interview in which the NBA legend opened up to Lemon about how he felt Trump had used sport to exacerbate US racial tensions.
On Saturday, Jordan weighed in, telling NBC through a spokesman: "I support LJ. He's doing an amazing job for his community".
James, who recently signed with the Lakers, has repeatedly clashed with the President, and on Monday said he would refuse to ever sit face to face with him.
James is considered by many to be the greatest player in basketball history, rivalled by Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.
The debate over who is better has raged on for years and has passionate supporters arguing each side.
On Monday, James spoke at lengths about the President, race and politics in a wide-ranging interview which aired just hours after opening his new I Promise School in Akron, Ohio.
His commitment to children that were falling behind in school, vowing to use the new school to help them not only catch up with their peers, but to excel, was put in direct contrast to several Trump government policies seen to disadvantage young people as social media users erupted over the President's tweet.
Who’s the real dummy? A man who puts kids in classrooms or one who puts kids in cages? #BeBest https://t.co/XO50qVksnR
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) August 4, 2018
Many tweeted both about separating children from their parents at the border, and of changes to how college students are treated and how their education is paid for.
"This week, LeBron opened a school for hundreds of at-risk kids while Donald Trump's education secretary attempts to undo college loan forgiveness for students who were 'knowingly deceived' by their schools, and rolls back Obama-era guidelines on discrimination in schools," Harrison Faigen, an NBA writer, posted.
"LeBron puts children through school. Trump puts children in cages," his colleague Joseph Flynn wrote.
LeBron puts children through school.
— Joseph Flynn (@chinajoeflynn.bsky.social) (@ChinaJoeFlynn) August 4, 2018
Trump puts children in cages.
Others chose to point out Trump seemed to have little issue with white athletes, and had also publicly slammed Stephen Curry, LaVar Ball, Colin Kaepernick, and Marshawn Lynch.
"Trump has only called Don Lemon & Lebron James 'dumb' and he repeatedly refers to Maxine Waters as 'low IQ',"one man wrote.
"Pop quiz - Besides all being smarter & better in every way than he is, what else do they have in common?
"A) Donald Trump. Is. A. Racist. Pig."
Some also speculated Trump's attack came as LeBron had moved to California, which is not a swing state like Ohio, where he previously lived, unscathed by the President's wrath.
In 2013, Trump said LeBron was "a great player and a great guy".
Even POTUS' supporters found the tweet to be in bad taste. "I support you but this is unacceptable, you need to apologise immediately," wrote Wesley Cantrell.
In his interview with Lemon, LeBron described how both athletics and education were high priorities for the young students at his new school, and lamented the idea of politics interfering with sports.
"When you're part of sports, it brings so much camaraderie and so much fun. We are in a position right now, in America more importantly, where this whole race thing has taken over," he said.
"I believe our president is trying to divide us... he is, he's dividing us and what I have noticed over the last few months is that he's kind of used sport to divide."
James said Trump is creating a wedge by using situations like NFL player Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the anthem and "uninviting" NBA star Steph Curry to the White House.
He also said he might consider running for office if someone said to him he was the only person and that Trump would win if he didn't step up.
Trump appears to be on thin ice, not just with angry voters, but with his own family as well.
Melania is the second woman in the President's life to publicly distance herself from his opinions this week alone.
Ivanka, the president's daughter and senior adviser, said during an event for the Axios news website on Thursday that seeing the aftermath of separating families at the border – desperate mothers and distraught children – was "a low point for me".
"I feel very strongly about that, and I am very vehemently against family separation and the separation of parents and children," she said in an event at the Newseum in Washington.
James has also enjoyed support from Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, who tweeted Saturday: "It should be beneath the dignity of a sitting POTUS to take racist shots at D. Lemon and Lebron James".
NBA player Karl-Anthony Towns tweeted: "So let me get this straight: Flint, MI has dirty water still, but you worried about an interview about a man doing good for education and generations of kids in his hometown?"
James appeared to ignore the chaos surrounding him on Saturday, and focused on his new school.
Sharing pictures of local children attending the I Promise School to Twitter, he wrote: "Let's get it kids!! Love you guys".
Let’s get it kids!! Love you guys https://t.co/kY88geedus
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 4, 2018
Tyrese Haliburton risks missing the entire 2025-26 season due to the injury.