Trump demands LeBron James apologise over his movements during the US national anthem
In short
US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social on 22 October (US time) that LeBron James disrespected the country during the national anthem before a game, and demanded an apology. The post carried a video of James swinging an imaginary golf club and mimicking shots while the anthem played. Korean outlets described the move as the latest episode in a long-running conflict between the two.
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US President Donald Trump publicly criticised NBA player LeBron James on 22 October, US local time, and demanded an apology. Trump posted on Truth Social a video of James during the pre-game national anthem. According to the Korean reports, he wrote that James was disrespecting the country while listening to the anthem. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Trump also wrote that he had said from the start that James was a bad person and a "TOTAL DISGRACE". He said James should apologise to the great American warriors and heroes who gave their lives for the American flag and everything the country stands for. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Yonhap said the 22-second video shows James swinging his bare hands as if hitting a golf ball and repeatedly practising basketball shots while the anthem played. Dong-A Ilbo said the video came from the 2026-27 season opener between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on 20 October. Newsis, citing AP, also said the game was on 20 October in New York. Both outlets said most of James's teammates stood still during the anthem. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Dong-A Ilbo said James, 41, joined Philadelphia this season and had 14 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in the 106-100 win. None of the documents reports a statement from James about the video or Trump's post. [ 3 ]
The outlets described a history of public clashes between the two. James backed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. In 2017 he criticised Trump over a dispute involving the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry, according to Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo. Yonhap said James called Trump a "useless human being" after Trump cancelled the NBA champions' White House invitation that year. It also said Trump insulted James in 2018 after James gave an interview to CNN's Don Lemon. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Newsis said Trump criticised NBA players who knelt during the anthem after the 2020 death of George Floyd, and that James replied that the NBA did not care whether Trump watched. Newsis said James endorsed Joe Biden that year. Dong-A Ilbo said Trump has consistently criticised protests by athletes during the anthem, including those of Colin Kaepernick, and that in 2018 he cancelled the White House invitation to the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Yonhap said Trump has objected to kneeling protests since his first term and that this and the history with James appear to be the background to the post. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The documents present the post as another public clash in a long-running dispute between the president and a prominent NBA player. They do not report any response from James or the NBA.
Key facts
- Trump posted on Truth Social on 22 October (US local time) a video of LeBron James during the pre-game national anthem and wrote that James disrespects the country. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Trump wrote that he had said from the start that James was a bad person and a "TOTAL DISGRACE", and that James should apologise to the American warriors and heroes who gave their lives for the flag and all the country stands for. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Yonhap said the video lasts 22 seconds and shows James swinging his bare hands as if hitting a golf ball and repeatedly practising basketball shooting motions during the anthem. [ 1 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo said the video was taken on 20 October at Madison Square Garden in the 2026-27 season opener between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks. Newsis, citing AP, also dated the game to 20 October in New York. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo and Newsis said most of James's teammates stood still during the anthem. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo said James, 41, is new to Philadelphia this season and had 14 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in the team's 106-100 win. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Trump publicly criticised James on Truth Social on 22 October (US time), saying James disrespected the country during the national anthem, and called on him to apologise. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The video shows James making golf-swing and basketball-shot movements while the US anthem played before a game. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- James endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Why James made the movements during the anthem. Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo describe them as apparent warm-up movements; none of the documents quotes James or gives his explanation.
- Whether James or the NBA has responded to Trump's post. None of the documents reports a response.
- The reason for Trump's post on this occasion. Yonhap says his long-standing dislike of anthem protests and his history with James appear to be the background; this is the outlet's interpretation, not a statement from Trump.
- Trump's exact English wording. The three Korean-language reports render his post in slightly different words; only Newsis gives some English terms, 'disrespects' and 'TOTAL DISGRACE'.