POTUS secures release of UCLA's LiAngelo Ball from China

All of the arrested players were released Monday and flew home Tuesday.
Thank you, President Trump, and all involved. These teens were looking at major Chinese time for shoplifting.


LiAngelo Ball (third from left) Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images
LiAngelo Ball, UCLA Players Released, Fly Home from China
TYLER CONWAY
NOVEMBER 14, 2017

UCLA basketball players LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, who were arrested in China on charges of shoplifting, have been allowed to return to the United States on Tuesday.

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott released a statement Tuesday, confirming the players are on a flight back to Los Angeles, via Tyson Alger of The Oregonian:

Full Story and video of safe return..
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-ucla-players-released-flying-home-from-china

 

Not sure if you are referring to the picture but those are not the 3 UCLA players that were accused of shoplifting, its the 3 Ball brothers, and someone else. Liangelo Ball was one of the three who was alleged to have shoplifted in China.

While it does seem to be true that Trump had a conversation with the Chinese president regarding the 3 players, there were multiple efforts going on with State Department personnel as well, so saying that Trump was the sole reason they were released is not quite true. Not to mention Trump showed himself to be an ass yet again by tweeting/questioning whether they would thank him, funny nobody from the State Department is asking for public acknowledgment of thanks.

 

Oh BS.
Had this been Obama, you would have been crowing. You can't even give the POTUS credit for it.
Even Ball did!

********
...“I’d like to start off by saying sorry for stealing from the stores in China,” said Ball, the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball. “I didn’t exercise my best judgment, and I was wrong for that.”

In addition, all three players — as well as Alford and Guerrero — personally thanked President Trump for his support and help in bringing the players home.

As The Washington Post reported Monday, Trump personally appealed to Xi to intervene on the players’ behalf during the U.S. president’s two-day state visit to Beijing last week.

Guerrero also thanked Trump’s chief of staff, John F. Kelly, for personally calling the three players while they were in China to check on them.
*********

Their police were eager to prosecute them and by all intents and purposes, these men were NOT getting a pass. Note below:

"...For their part, the Chinese government wasn’t eager to say that Xi had followed through on Trump’s request to intervene.

“I am not aware of the details, but I believe the Chinese police would have handled the case in strict accordance with the law,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a news conference Wednesday, when asked if Xi had intervened.

*********
The OP pic posted is from the linked story.

Meanwhile, the players have been suspended indefinitely.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...r-lengthy-suspensions/?utm_term=.4c6486e08bf0

 

You know the difference Bliss, Obama would not have been on social media crowing about it and asking for thanks. If you re-read my post everything I said was factual, Trump did play a "part" in getting them home, but was not the only person working on it. In addition, "I" have no problem giving credit where it is due, if you remember I praised Trump here for signing an executive order raising funding for HCBU's (although it still has to get through congress), unlike you who to my knowledge has not praised a single President Obama era accomplishment.

 

Oh l know the difference alright.
The difference is hundreds of Liberal Media outlets would be profusely thanking Obama, he wouldn't need a second to have to procure some respect..
This would have been a *breaking* ESPN, World News Tonight, Today Show, CNN and MSNBC story all day and night.
If it could have been buried that Trump secured their release, you know damn well it would have been.

So yes, he has every right to "wonder". If it weren't for Twitter, he'd get no credit ever.

You can pretend all you want that you acknowledged his "part" in it, but we both know had he not personally asked China's President, those boys would STILL be there, State Department or not. The "you didn't build it" ethos doesn't hold here. Absolutely Obama would have preened as securing their release. And rightly so. The QB always gets the praise.
It's funny how you accuse others of hypocrisy, please don't exibit it yourself.

As for Obama's policies, l liked his ACA on pre-existing, l liked his cash for clunkers (even though it hurt the auto industry), l liked his mortgage assistance program on paper (it failed too because the mortgage companies abused it, as there were key stipulations missing that Obama overlooked).
There was the The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that l appreciated. And l loved the Overdraft Protection act he passed..so nonsense. I loved and hated his various Presidential policies which is NORMAL. And that goes for President Trump, too.

 

It's weird that Trump practically demanded on twitter those three players thanked him for their release.

You know if they hadn't, he would be ripping those kids and Black athletes in general,,,,again,

The man's character is just not up to par for me. If you do something right or nice, then that's why you do it.
You don't do something like that for the praise you expect to get.

Trump appeared more concerned about being given credit and thanks for what he did than saving those young men from a lengthy prison sentence.

 

If the liberal media, as you say, would have been profusely thanking President Obama, then Fox news would have been tearing into him by saying he was bowing down or somehow capitulating to the Chinese president. It is HILARIOUS that you mention respect and this president in the same breath Bliss, trump again and again shows NO respect for those who dare to disagree with him or more importantly hold him accountable, he is reaping what he sows time and time again.

As far as your reference to "You didn't build that", now who is being a hypocrite by taking that so called quote out of context, here is the full quote.. “f you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart.” President Obama was never saying that business owners did not work hard on their own, just that nobody does "everything" on their own. You accusing others of being hypocritical is LITERALLY the pot calling the kettle, when you have repeatedly savaged others accused of sexual crimes, and have yet (to my knowledge) to do the same to Trump in similar if not the same accusations.

I certainly dispute your views on cash for clunkers and the mortgage assistance programs, there is ample evidence that both programs worked well and achieved their intended goals, and were crucial in literally saving both industries in a crucial time in our history. Perhaps I missed the posts where you praised President Obama's policies, and I would agree that it is normal to like and dislike policies no matter who is in office.

 

Agreed! I've had the same conversation with Trump supporters who talk about him not getting respect. I simply remind them of what most of us learn as children in that... Respect is earned, and totally a two-way street. You respect others, and you'll get it in return. Of course it's totally a no-brainer on the outright disrespect towards Obama (which we know was all about his skin color) before day one including the lies and such from the current POTUS.

 

If he didn't give a fuck he'd have not said a word.
Furthermore, It was more half, tongue-in-cheek since he knew he likely wouldn't be thanked, because soooooo many in your community make it known PUBLICLY just how much you hate his guts.

It's funny, ABC News do hourly updates on the station l listen to and they never once mentioned for a day and a half, that these boys were back. Only yesterday evening did they finally mention it.. and do you know what they reported?
That these players "returned, and they have been suspended by UCLA".

No mention that Donald Trump secured them to be released which is WHY they returned, no mention that there was even a release, nope, just that the "UCLA players have returned home from China and have to face a suspension."

If you still question why Donald "wondered", watch LeVar Ball's semi-ignorant reaction when asked if he was going to acknowledge the efforts made to release his son.
http://m.tmz.com/#!article/2017/11/15/lavar-ball-back-in-us-good-with-trump/

Of course President Trump should be praised, it's not too much to ask (and he didn't demand it, AB), because if these yound men didn't thank him, one would be justified in asking, who raised them, that they don't thank the President for getting them released from up to 10 years in jail of hard labor in a Communist country for shoplifting? You'd sound ungrateful and truly ignorant if you felt reluctant about having to thank the President. This isn't some little toy ring he gifted them - these boys would have been there for years, College education interrupted, FANTASTIC LIFE here in the U.S.A interrupted -

We both also know for a fact that had he not spoken up to get these young men released, your community and every alt-Left liberal from Rachel Maddow on down would have been hysterical, hurling obscene "racist Nazi white supremacist" vitriol at the President, especially because he had brought "white boy" Otto back (in a coma, no less) from North Korea.

Even this very morning, the Left MSM is being called out for their appalling desperate spin on it, accusing the President of being "racist for actually expecting a thank you', mumbling, "it won't stop Colin K and doesn't stop police brutality"..
WTF???

Furthermore..the President is also beiing ripped on SM for his follow up "Have a Great Life" tweet, to the point it has become a freaking hashtag.
He can't even say "have a great life" now?. Utter bitter fools in permanent meltdown. Seriously, he can't fucking win either way.

 

Quit whining Bliss, EVERY president has their detractors and those that hate their guts. True statesmen know this going in and don't frequently and publicly cry about not receiving credit. Trump ran a scorched earth campaign, in which he hurled schoolyard insults at his opponents, whipped crowds into a frenzy (sometimes condoning violence), and alienated not only the opposition but many in his own party. Now those chickens are coming home to roost, you cannot be surprised he is met with so much resistance from almost all sides when he has time after time shown contempt and disrespect for others even before running (birtherism). And you STILL avoid the sexual criminal claims against him (despite his so called "locker room talk") yet you referenced Cosby's "spanish fly" comedy bit as proof of his intentions and bad acts....

 

Easy with the 'your community' comments, Bliss. If you're talking about Black folk, just say BLACK.
Speaking of Black people, why would we respect Donald Trump?? Trump's racist meanderings took us down the birther rabbit hole with lie after lie about BHO's origins.
Then Trump tries to court Black votes during the general election by suggesting nearly ALL Black people are destitute, incarcerated and living in poverty, an alt-right dystopian fantasy, therefore, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE by voting for Trump.lol

Trump is a bigot, xenophobe and probably a racist. That's based on his history in NYC and his defense of neo Nazis and White supremacists while in office, going out of his way to state publicly that 'some of them are good people'.

So no, on a basic moral level, MOST folks, including Blacks, and Dems, progressives, Republicans, men, women, White, whatever, don't respect the POTUS the way that you do.

This is the same POTUS who called Black NFL players sons-of-bitches for protesting police brutality by taking a knee during the National Anthem.
You call a man's mother a 'bitch' when I was growing up, that's an automatic beat down.

SO excuse me if many of us respect the office of POTUS, but don't respect the man who currently holds the office.

To put it simply, he's a disgusting, vulgar human being.

I've never had someone who gave me a gift DEMAND a thank you. I'd bet that no one on this forum has. It's a testament to Trump's ego and personal insecurities and constant need for affirmation and praise that made him make such a statement.

But no, Trump needed the public PR back rub so baby Sylvester could sleep contently at night.

Do Trump supporters finally understand why Trump needs to stop tweeting?? You say, Bliss, Donald didn't demand a 'thank you, but when you're PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, everything you type on twitter is an OFFICIAL statement from the WH.

So no, Trump did indeed demand to be thanked for releasing those boys.
That's how they read his tweet, and I'm sure that's how every adult around them, and UCLA officials, received the president's tweet.

We all know the wrath and pettiness of the president. Can you imagine the tweets that would have followed if those players didn't make a public statement thanking Donald??

Simply put, Trump is bad for the country. He doesn't know what it means to be POTUS or how to govern and to top it off, is a horrible example for the rest of the nation.

I'm glad Trump assisted in getting those boys released, although we all know the State Department did most of the heavy lifting, but that doesn't mean his previous record is erased.

Donald will die a disgusting human being. Good riddance.

 

Those Ball blokes are the ballers with the over eager dad?

 

Yeah. But Bliss should have corrected the photo in her OP. These are the players released from China, one of them is a part of the Ball clan.

 

Whining?
You've whined for 8 years, and yet you turn around and do the very same thing to our current President. What's worse is the Dems and the MSM bootlicked Obama no matter his failings, at least the Republicans do contest President Trump, if not try to undermine him..

I seem to recall there were many things that Obama and Hillary said to each other when they were running, as well as to their opponents. It's never pretty and to the victor go the spoils. You seem mad that an outsider came in and upstaged entitled Queen Hillary.

Let's be clear, Obama as President NEVER had this level of evil vitriol hurled at him non-stop, 24/7 from every corner of the MSM and Alt-Left. It's been despicable, and if you find the incessant level of barrage acceptable, then you sir are no better in mind than those alt Right who in mean-spirit, attacked Obama.

Loki, why do you absolve Hillary of any kind of accountability for clearly starting the 'Birther movement', in her attempt to beat Obama. (Hillary loves starting Movements, doesn't she? )(we won't bring up her Obama is a Muslim 'smear' attempt).

That aside, you.never once acknowledged Obama's own contribution to the birth questions, when you factor in that he himself distributed literary pamphlets in 1991 claiming he is indeed Kenyan. ( "it was an error", indeed)


"Born in Kenya".

Furthermore;
"Online archive from as late as April 2007 by his publishing agency, Acton & Dystel had then SENATOR Obama's birthplace still listed as Kenya - that was a full two months after he announced he was running for President...


http://web.archive.org/web/20070403190001/http://www.dystel.com/clientlist.html

THEN, the same online archive suddenly two weeks later, changed running President Obama's birthplace to "Hawaii" after 16 years of noting otherwise.

Are you going to tell me Obama was oblivious to all this? For over 16 years? Whilst promoting his first book, he never once proofread and/or proudly read, held or distributed his very own phamplet?

So naturally, yes of course that raised some eyebrows.The Left unquestionably would be freaking out if the tables were turned. Admit it.

Nonetheless, Donald Trump has since reversed his opinion and admitted he was encouraged by Hillary to pursue the 'Birther movement'. (Hillary and The Left know all about Movements, don't they).

Why do question me on "sexual criminal claims" when you have completely dismissed the sex and drug claims made by Obama's 'alleged' lover, Larry Sinclair, and the fact that Barack's (other alleged lover) from his church (choir director, Donald Young), was mysteriously murdered just days before the 2008 Iowa Caucus?

Why is it that you give more credence to those women who came forward during a hostile candidacy run, but not to Larry? His book has been out there for years and Obama has not shut it down. Why is that? Wouldn't you have at least tried if it was all lies?
productDescription_secondary_view_div_1510851595658

Larry has been very candid about himself...

In its entirety


Edited version


Now how are his allegations anymore bizzare than a woman claiming Donald raped her in front of many witnesses when she was a child, but who keeps canceling press conferences, has lawsuits thrown ot and withdraws lawsuits? 'She' still hasn't fully revealed herself.

A civil suit against Donald Trump alleging he raped a 13-year-old girl was dismissed in California in May 2016, refiled in New York in June 2016, and dropped again in November 2016.

Let him at least face his accuser. He hasn't even been charged with anything.

 

Hyperbole, thy name is Bliss...first, as I have proved to you on MULTIPLE threads, I have criticized President Obama when due as well as praising his efforts. Not once can you point to me complaining about the incredible amount of disrespect and obstructionism he faced, I certainly mentioned it, and pointed out examples, but did not go on an on about how unfair it is.

As far as being mad that Hilary lost, I did not vote for her, so save your fake condemnation. And without getting into the oppression olympics here, the level of hatred and anger many had at President Obama could EASILY rival if not exceed that of which Trump is facing, it all depends on one's perspective.

As far as Hilary starting the birther crap...

There is no evidence to support this. Clinton supporters circulated the rumor in the last days of the 2008 Democratic primary and after Clinton had conceded to Obama. But the record does not show Clinton or her campaign ever promoting the birther theory, let alone starting it.

We rate Trump’s claim False.

Share The Facts
Donald Trump
Presidential candidate





The editor of the biographical text about Barack Obama which was included in the booklet maintained that the mention of Kenya was an error on her part and was not based on any information provided to her by Obama himself:

Miriam Goderich edited the text of the bio; she is now a partner at the Dystel & Goderich agency, which lists Obama as one of its current clients.

“You’re undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me — an agency assistant at the time,” Goderich wrote. “There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more.”

A New York Times article about Barack Obama published in 1990, a year before the Acton & Dystel promotional booklet was issued, correctly identified his birthplace as Hawaii.


Lastly, you seriously ask why I believe the women accusing trump over Larry Sinclair, a CONVICTED FELON, specializing in crimes of deceit? If the shoe was on the other foot you would be screaming at how non credible and outrageous he is. Never heard of Donald Young, but a quick google search leads to a whole host of nutjob conspiracy theory sites painting President Obama as a murderer to cover up a "supposed" gay past, no proof, not evidence, just crackpot smears, you should be ashamed of yourself for even mentioning it Bliss. Just like the whole "Killary" nonsense, as if some of the most famous and scrutinized people on the planet for going on decades now could be super villan level murderous criminals without being caught with hard evidence, is just plain idiotic.

 

Bliss is out to lunch when it comes to Trump. Disturbingly so.

There's never been a presidential candidate or POTUS who hurled personal insults and ridiculed his enemies the way Trump has. Yet somehow Bliss thinks that's okay because she believe BHO and Hillary did the same thing in 2008.
Criticizing someone's policy objectives is NOT the same as calling someone, 'Little Marco', or physically mocking others at campaign rallies or during debates.

Is Donald Trump the standard for behavior we want from our elected representatives?? If he isn't , then his behavior is not acceptable.

Being a political outsider is fine, but lacking in basic decency, civility and decorum is not.

As for Hillary and birtherism, others have already told you on this very forum there were discussions among her campaign team to run against BHO using a strategy promoting he was too 'other' and exotic.
The difference is, they NEVER promoted the idea he wasn't born in America. They never argued in front of a TV camera whether or not he attended Harvard and Columbia.
Trump, however, did all these things and even contested his birth certificate. All based on lies and Trump's latent racism directed at Obama.

As for the Larry Sinclair allegations versus the sexual assault claims against Trump, our dear POTUS admitted in a taped recording that he sexually assaulted women. Did you already forget that Trump likes to grab women by the pussy because he's rich and famous and can get away with it? That alone makes any sexual assault allegations against Trump more legitimate.

Man, I can't wait to see how you spin it when the impeachment proceedings against Donald begin.lol

 

Exactly! There's also the $5 million reward he offered for evidence that BHO was born in Kenya. Of course with Trump's track record... Who know if any such person would've actually rec'd the reward.

 

So much to respond to @Kenya
@ his grandma's interview,
@the Kenyan Foreign Minister interview,
@Kenyan and Nigerian papers still in circulation honoring that he was born there,
@Kenya's Ministry of Cultural center plans to build a center to honor the first Kenyan to rule the U.S,
as well as a birthplace sign which we all know still stands in Kenya..


And quite frankly, there is no shame if he was born there, Kenyans are quite proud and perplexed, if only because they don't understand our Presidental laws.

IMO, if he was born there, his mom was American, merely visiting her husband's homeland, and there was every intention that he was to be born in Hawaii.
Now if you're born in another country to immigrant parents who live in another country then, no, you can't come to the U.S and be the President.
However, his mom was American, so he is too, no matter who's theory holds true.
Having said that, all these vehement denials that he was not born in Kenya when others say he was is strange as a stand alone, but l understand that Presidential "rules" would take precedence over pride (even though, as l said, he qualifies to be President under the spirit of the law.)
Regardless, Obama was going to be the FIRST BLACK (bi-racial) PRESIDENT and nothing was going to interfere. I was elated he won. I keep telling you, my feelings changed 2- 3 years into his presidency.

l also personally did not like then Trump's or the Republicans attempts to disqualify him on a 'technicality', because it didn't come from a good place, just like the attempts from the Left who are trying to stop President Trump, with the Russia narrative.

******
Oh no, l don't think Obama murdered anyone, smh...
Now, Trinity Church having things to hide and being dubious? I think yes.

Here are the 2 death certificates of two long-time Trinity church members, 9 days apart. Both inexplicably, were gay men, with Larry asserting that Donald contacted him via phone and text up until Dec 2007 on his also relationship with Barack.

Note their similar methods of execution..




Do you think that's just a coincidence?
Perhaps, perhaps not....

 

If he's impeached, lll send you a bottle of wine.
BTW, I think your blind stumping for Hillary is disturbing!

Please, Clinton has her dirty mitts all over the start of the birther movement...

"Much of the insinuation that Clinton had a hand in birtherism traces to the role of her then-senior strategist Mark Penn, who issued a memo in 2007 suggesting that Clinton emphasize Obama’s upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia and paint him as fundamentally un-American. The memo never questioned Obama’s citizenship but did suggest highlighting his “lack of American roots.”

She's a low down snake.

Trump never claimed he didn't go to Columbia or Harvard, he said it was that he got in via the quota system. I disagree with Trump on that.