Story perspectives

Trump Criticizes LeBron’s Anthem Arm Movements After 76ers Win

By Drooid · Oct 23, 2026, 10:04 AM UTC · How we work

Center

Trump urges WNBA boycott

President Donald Trump criticized LeBron James for moving during the national anthem before the 76ers’ opening game at Square Garden on October 20, 2026.
At an Iowa rally, Trump showed the clip, urged a boycott of the WNBA and displayed James swinging his arms during anthem.
James replied after win, calling Trump’s post a ‘slow news day.’
The 76ers, 2-0, recorded James’s 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists.

Left

LeBron dismisses Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized LeBron James for moving during the national anthem before the Philadelphia 76ers’ game at Madison Square Garden on October 20, 2026.
The coverage links Trump’s attack to his record of singling out Black athletes for alleged anthem disrespect.
Trump posted the clip on Truth Social, calling James’s arm movements disrespectful during anthem.
LeBron James said the attack was ‘a slow news day’ after the Sixers’ 114-106 win.

Blindspot

At an Iowa campaign rally, President Donald Trump called for a boycott of the Women’s National Basketball Association while criticizing LeBron James’s anthem movements.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The 1968 Mexico City Olympics Black Power salute, staged by sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos in 1968, sparked worldwide controversy. The International Olympic Committee expelled the two athletes, and President Richard Nixon denounced the act, citing a 2-minute podium silence that followed. President Donald Trump condemned LeBron James’s anthem gestures on October 20, 2026, urging a WNBA boycott and posting the clip on Truth Social. These recurring political attacks turn star athletes into cultural flashpoints, prompting intensified media scrutiny and potential congressional hearings on sports-related free-speech protections.

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Trump urges WNBA boycott

President Donald Trump criticized LeBron James for moving during the national anthem before the 76ers’ opening game at Square Garden on October 20, 2026.
At an Iowa rally, Trump showed the clip, urged a boycott of the WNBA and displayed James swinging his arms during anthem.
James replied after win, calling Trump’s post a ‘slow news day.’
The 76ers, 2-0, recorded James’s 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists.

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