Trump on UCLA players accused of shoplifting: ‘I should have left them in jail!’
President Donald Trump is not happy with three UCLA basketball players who were recently detained in China.
After freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley came back to the United States, Trump, who says he’s the reason they were released, was waiting on an apology.
That doesn’t seem likely, as one player’s father downplayed the president’s role in their release.
“Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out,” LaVar Ball told ESPN. “As long as my boy’s back here, I’m fine.”
Trump didn’t take too kindly to Ball’s words, saying on Twitter about the players, “I should have left them in jail!”
Now that the three basketball players are out of China and saved from years in jail, LaVar Ball, the father of LiAngelo, is unaccepting of what I did for his son and that shoplifting is no big deal. I should have left them in jail!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2017
Shoplifting is a very big deal in China, as it should be (5-10 years in jail), but not to father LaVar. Should have gotten his son out during my next trip to China instead. China told them why they were released. Very ungrateful!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2017
While they’re not locked up, Ball, Hill and Riley are suspended from the team indefinitely.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he’d like to not hear about Trump or the elder Ball.
“Two people seeking attention and they’re both getting it, so I’m sure both guys are really happy,” Kerr said before his team’s game against the Nets in Brooklyn. “You know what would help? If all of you just stopped covering both of them. Is that possible? You could probably stop covering LaVar. I don’t think you can stop covering the president. I don’t think that will work.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2017 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Trump on UCLA players accused of shoplifting: ‘I should have left them in jail!’."