President Donald Trump has been pushing three UCLA players hard to remember to thank those who spared them from spending years in a Chinese prison.
Trump tweeted Thursday morning that LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, three UCLA basketball players charged with shoplifting in Hangzhou, should thank Chinese President Xi Jinping for their release.
To the three UCLA basketball players I say: You’re welcome, go out and give a big Thank You to President Xi Jinping of China who made…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2017
….your release possible and, HAVE A GREAT LIFE! Be careful, there are many pitfalls on the long and winding road of life!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2017
The young men were arrested during Trump’s five-nation tour of Asia that took him to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The president brought their future up in a discussion with Xi, asking the Chinese leader to let the boys return home.
The president’s tweets follow a tweet Wednesday questioning whether the UCLA players would thank him for securing his release. The three risked spending up to ten years in Chinese prison for stealing merchandise from a Louis Vuitton store near their hotel.
Do you think the three UCLA Basketball Players will say thank you President Trump? They were headed for 10 years in jail!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2017
After returning to the U.S., one of the players spoke at a press conference. “I would like to thank President Trump and the United States government for the help that they’ve provided,” he said. Now, the president wants them to thank China for letting them off the hook.
The players will not face charges, but they have been indefinitely suspended from their team.
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