Late Friday night, President Donald Trump was tuned into CNN, watching a one-on-one interview with CNN's Don Lemon and LeBron James.
While the interview focused on James' new school that guarantees a host of amenities to at-risk youth, including college tuition, the two also discussed the state of politics. James, an outspoken opponent of Trump's, told Lemon that he felt the president has used sports to divide the nation and that he couldn't stay silent on the issue.
Trump took to Twitter to sound off on the segment, stating that Lemon is the "dumbest man on television" and makes LeBron look smart, which, he says, "isn’t easy to do."
President Trump added, "I like Mike," seemingly referring to Michael Jordan.
Lemon shot back on Twitter Saturday, taking a page from the first lady's playbook: "Who's the real dummy? A man who puts kids in classrooms or one who puts kids in cages? #BeBest."
The Be Best hashtag refers to the first lady's campaign to promote kindness and friendship.
Other athletes and sports commentators came to the defense of James.
Jordan released a statement through his spokesperson, saying, "I support LJ. He’s doing an amazing job for his community,” Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports reported.
Bill Simmons replied to the president saying, "LeBron is a smart dude (and one of the most thoughtful athletes we have) -- this is a bulls--t tweet and feels more than a little racist. You’re a constant embarrassment."
Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns tweeted at the President, saying, "Shut your damn mouth!"
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? Shut your damn mouth! Stop using them twitter fingers and get stuff done for our country with that pen. https://t.co/sEkX3OKaJM
— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) August 4, 2018
ESPN's Jemele Hill tweeted, "There’s a lot of insults the president could have hurled at LeBron and Don Lemon, but it says something that the president openly questioned their intelligence. Gee, wonder why."
There’s a lot of insults the president could have hurled at LeBron and Don Lemon, but it says something that the president openly questioned their intelligence. Gee, wonder why.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) August 4, 2018
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith called the president's tweet "immature and offensive," pondering why Trump would consider two "two successful black men 'dumb.'"
WNBA star Elena Delle Donne said she was in disbelief at Trump's tweet.
Sometimes I wake up and see my news updates and think this can’t be real. How on earth is a self made millionaire who just gave away a school being criticized by the president?
— Elena Delle Donne (@De11eDonne) August 4, 2018