Fox host Laura Ingraham’s demand that professional athletes stop criticizing Trump went badly for her.
Laura Ingraham went on a tirade on her Fox News show this week, complaining about black athletes who have criticized Trump for his racist rhetoric and behavior.
Her attempt to silence such criticism backfired.
Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat called out the racist tone of Ingraham's rant.
"They use to try and hide it," he tweeted. "Now the president has given everyone the courage to live their truths."
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long noted that Fox News has often featured commentary from conservative entertainers, including "Anaconda Guy" Jon Voight.
And if you reply “stick to sports,” you should probably tune of out Fox News because they’ve got karate guys talking climate change on there. (Which I’m cool with... it’s his right.) Unless it’s just about you needing to feel like you’ve got control of athletes like Lebron.
— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) February 16, 2018
The inspiration for Ingraham's angry, racist rant was NBA superstar LeBron James' video appearance in which he said Trump "really don't give a fuck about the people." When Trump makes racist remarks, James said, "it's not even a surprise."
Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors also commented on Trump's racist comments and compared America to a team that was not being run by a great coach.
Ingraham, who was once in the running to be Trump's press secretary, complained that James was "talking politics again" and was "barely intelligible."
She ranted on: "Must they run their mouths like that? Unfortunately, a lot of kids and some adults take these ignorant comments seriously."
She concluded, "Millions elected Trump to be their coach. So keep the political commentary to yourself, or as someone once said, shut up and dribble."
Of course, more Americans voted to have Hillary Clinton as "their coach" over Trump.
Ingraham has encouraged white celebrities to opine on politics, promoting their commentary on her radio show, television and online.
She praised "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson's opinions on how America should handle ISIS. She hailed former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling after he was suspended by ESPN for being transphobic. And an entire section of her website is dedicated to promoting the views of conservative actor Scott Baio.
Like Trump, who she shamelessly promotes, Ingraham has a big problem with black athletes who speak up on social issues. She insists they have no right to voice their opinions as American citizens, while hailing white entertainers who echo her own right wing beliefs.
But outside of the Fox News bubble, traditional Americans bristle at that kind of exclusionary thought. Wade and Long, from their platforms, spoke for a lot of average people when they pointed out how shallow Ingraham is.
