Trump 'Takes a Crap All Over You' If You're Black, Morning Joe Panel Says of 'Racist' Spat With LeBron James

President Donald Trump's ongoing feud with Morning Joe shows no signs of abating, with a panel on the show firmly backing sports star LeBron James in his recent spat with the president.

The panel on Monday suggested the president singled out black athletes for criticism, with host Joe Scarborough commenting that Trump resembled "an old, grumpy, white racist grandpa in Queens or Alabama yelling at his TV, saying, 'This black man is stupid, that black man is stupid!'"

His comments come after the president lashed out at James during the weekend over an interview James did with CNN's Don Lemon, in which the basketball star expressed concerns that Trump had emboldened racists.

"I think [racism's] always been there," James said in the interview. "But I think the president in charge now has given people—they don't care now, they throw it to your face."

The president tweeted following the interview: "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 was referencing sports star Michael Jordan, who has since come out in support of James.

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

Discussing the spat, the Morning Joe panelists suggested that targeting black athletes for criticism was an intentional move by the president.

"It's his strategy," Scarborough said during the discussion. "It's what Donald Trump thinks. He told his staff members, basically attacking black athletes, that's really good for me, that's really good politically going into the midterms."

His opinion was backed up by panelist John Heilemann, who said: "If you're black, the president takes a crap all over you."

The president has previously spoken out against NFL players who took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality against African Americans, commenting on one occasion that he would fire players who took a knee, and more recently suggesting kneeling players should leave the country.

"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a b***h off the field right now. He's fired. He's fired,'" Trump said, a day before he rescinded a White House invitation to NBA star Stephen Curry.

"You know, some owner is going to do that. He's going to say, 'That guy that disrespects our flag, he's fired.' And that owner, they don't know it [but] they'll be the most popular person in this country," Trump said at the time.

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