Trump Attacks LeBron James After CNN Interview

President Donald Trump insulted the intelligence of LeBron James and CNN anchor Don Lemon on Friday, calling Lemon “the dumbest man on television.” Trump’s tweet came after an interview aired on CNN Friday night where Lemon interviewed James from his new “I Promise” school for at-risk youth in Akron, James’ hometown.

Lemon toured the school and had a conversation with James about race. The two also discussed President Trump.

“Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon,” wrote Trump, who regularly derides CNN as fake news. “He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!”

“I like Mike” was apparently Trump weighing in on the debate over who is the greatest NBA player of all time, Mike being Michael Jordan.

In the interview, which originally aired July 30, James said he believes Trump is using sports to divide people and he can’t say nothing about the issue. Lemon also asked James about his home being vandalized with a racial slur last year.

“I don’t know if I was surprised, I don’t know if I was hurt, I don’t know if I was disappointed, it was so many different emotions,” James said. “More importantly it was the conversation that I had to have with my boys, that it was, that hurt me.”

But James said the incident also enlightened him.

“No matter how big you can become, no matter what you do in your community, no matter what you do in your profession, you know being an African-American in America is always tough and they’re always gonna let you know that you are the N-word, not matter who you are,” James said. When asked if he believed such incidents had always existed or whether they are just witnessed more today because of cellphones, James said he believes they had always existed. He added that because of the president, people don’t care now and “throw it in your face.”

James has frequently criticized Trump on Twitter, standing up for fellow basketball player Steph Curry last September when Trump claimed to have uninvited Curry from the White House. Trump’s apparent invite revoke came the day after he launched an attack on NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.

“U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going! So therefore ain’t no invite,” James tweeted in September. “Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!”

James also took to Twitter after the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville that killed a woman and injured others. Trump blamed the violence in Charlottesville on “both sides.”

CNN Communications responded to Trump’s tweet.

On Saturday morning, Lemon also responded to Trump.

“Who’s the real dummy? A man who puts kids in classrooms or one who puts kids in cages? #BeBest,” Lemon tweeted, along with a link to the James’ interview.

In the interview, Lemon also asked James if he would ever run for office and James said he doesn’t think he would. Asked if he would run if there was no one else and if his not running meant Trump would win, James said that in that case, he may. James said he “would never sit across” from Trump, though he would talk to former President Barack Obama.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich was among the many people that came to James’ defense.

James’ new “I Promise” school in Akron is a partnership between the The LeBron James Family Foundation and the Akron Public Schools. The school is not a private or a charter school. Students at the school receive free breakfast, lunch snacks, a free bike and helmet, free uniforms and guaranteed college tuition to the University of Akron for students who graduate, according to BuzzFeed.

James didn’t respond to Trump but he tweeted in support of the kids at his new school Saturday.

Trump’s tweet came just a day before he’s headed to Ohio to campaign for a congressional candidate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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