SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports’ Jeff Zillgitt examines the latest example that the NBA is a league that encourages its players and coaches to speak up and use their platform, this time in the wake of riots at the Capitol Building.
USA Today
As one of the leading voices on social justice issues in the NBA, San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich did more than express his anger about Supporters of President Donald Trump riot inside and outside the Capitol Building Wednesday.
Before Thursday’s match Against Los Angeles LakersPopovich called on Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Republican senators Lindsay Graham, Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley.
Popovich said he believes “with all my heart that Trump enjoyed” his supporters by storming the Capitol to disrupt them Final confirmation of the electoral votes That identified Democratic candidate Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election.
“He is incapable. He is incompetent,” Popovich said of Trump. As this was happening, 4,000 of our fellow citizens died from the pandemic yesterday. We are still facing the cyber attack which was much worse than the Pearl Harbor attack which was not spoken of. Does not care. He loved those folks arriving on the Capitol because that’s what he cares about. He is unable to pay attention. In a way, it’s so sad because he’s such a really dysfunctional and flawed person. But it is also dangerous. “
“I don’t think it’s very unlikely yet that people will start talking about the 25th Amendment,” Popovic added.
This adjustment The vice president is allowed to specify that the president is “incapable of carrying out the powers and duties of his office.”
We know it probably won’t happen. Mike Pence wouldn’t do that. For four years, he said, he was a submissive man. “He’s not going to do that. I think he tried to get credit because he didn’t try to turn everything around in Congress last night. He can’t! He doesn’t have the strength! But people behaved as if he did something good. Their job there by the Constitution is to count the votes. That is it.” That’s all they’re doing. So it didn’t do anything to help any situation at all. “
Popovich also criticized Graham, Cruz, Hawley and other Republican members of the Senate who supported Trump’s unfounded claims about election fraud. Cruz and Hawley participated in recent efforts to block election approval.
“They are worse than Trump because they are not sick,” Popovich said. Trump is not a good man. These people are rational. But their self-interest, greed, and cravings for power outweigh their love for the country or their sense of duty to the constitution or public service. One would have thought with those incidents of yesterday that they might have had a mistake. Simple “.
Instead, Popovich said, “They have doubled down on their stance and still do it like we’re all idiots. Sometimes smart people think other people are stupid. They don’t think we can see that they did this for their own personal reasons so they can keep the rule. But it is.” It will backfire on them. “
Popovich has been one of NBA’s most outspoken critic of Trump, saying that the president’s rhetoric and divisive policies have negatively affected blacks, women and other minorities.
anyway Police shot a white woman On the Capitol building, the majority of rioters were left unharmed as they assaulted, looted and vandalized the building. Meanwhile, the National Guard and law enforcement have used force that included tear gas in mostly peaceful protests this summer after police killed unarmed blacks, including George Floyd.
Of protesters last summer calling for racial justice, Popovich said: “They’re going after these people because these are the people who don’t support Trump. But if people support Trump, that’s a free pass. It just happened. Being white. That’s what he does for you. White Privilege. This is a white privilege to the ninth degree. No fear. No fear at all. ”
Biden is slated to be inaugurated on January 20. Amid concerns about the additional harm Trump might cause to his words or actions, Popovich argued that Trump needed to be removed from power sooner.
“Mike Pence can send a message. If he does, I hope Nancy Pelosi will continue,” Popovich said of the House Speaker. It would be nice if I did but to send this message to the world that laughs at us, I feel embarrassed to be an American and see people see what they saw yesterday. She will send a great message and maybe help us all recover a little and start feeling good. I felt really good when I listened to President-elect Biden today. I’m starting to feel like we have a fair nation and have some good things going forward. I have listened to the judge [Merrick] Garland, you were excited, really excited. We’ll see where it goes. But we cannot forget the miserable example of racism that was the biggest takeaway of the day, along with the cowardice and subservience of our elected officials. “
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