On Sunday, former US president Barack Obama used Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s comments on Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to raise a thought for Black and Latino communities in the nearing election. He warned them about voting for someone who’s had a history of disregarding their people.
During a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Milwaukee, the former POTUS told the crowd that Trump wasn’t the answer to the nation’s woes.
“Why would you think the answer is to vote for someone who has a long history of demeaning and disregarding your communities, whose family business was sued for not renting to folks that look like you?” Obama told the people.
He then referenced many other comments Donald Trump has made against ethnic minorities in America, including the one comment where he expressed his skepticism about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greek ancestry.
“…Who cannot apparently understand how an NBA superstar can be both Greek and Black? Who suggests any Mexican crossing the border is a criminal and a rapist? Who spreads ridiculous fantasies that Haitians are eating people’s pets?” Obama continued. “…Who just this past week arranged for one of his supporters to tell jokes about Black people eating watermelon and Puerto Rico being an island of garbage—right there on stage at Madison Square Garden? Do you think that’s somebody who’s going to look out for you?”
Obama on Trump: Who cannot understand how an NBA superstar can be both Greek and Black… Who spreads ridiculous fantasies that Haitians are eating people’s pets. Who just this past week arranged for one of his supporters to tell jokes about Black people eating watermelon and… pic.twitter.com/8hs8buZc5d
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 3, 2024
The 2024 presidential election is almost near and both candidates are doing their utmost to sway voters in their favor, particularly those who are still yet to pick a side. A number of NBA superstars, including LeBron James and Steph Curry, have expressed their support for Kamala Harris.
Just what exactly did Donald Trump say about Giannis Antetokounmpo?
While talking to his supporters at Fiserv Forum on Friday, Donald Trump questioned Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greek heritage. In the place where the Bucks play their home games, the Republican presidential candidate asked the crowd who had more Greek between himself and the forward/center.
“Your team is very good. I would say the Greek is a seriously good player. And tell me, who has more Greek in him, the Greek or me? I think we have about the same. He’s a great player, maybe the best player in the NBA actually. He’s supposed to be a very good guy too,” Trump said.
Trump didn’t even address “the Greek Freak” by his name, instead just mentioning his nationality during the segment.
Giannis Antetkounmpo was born December 6, 1994 to Nigerian immigrant parents and raised in Athens, Greece.
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