Ex-Obama official: Trump a ‘petulant emperor’

A former White House official from the Obama administration on Sunday said President Trump’s tweets criticizing LaVar Ball, the father of a UCLA basketball player arrested in China on shoplifting charges, summarize Trump’s “unfitness for the job.”

“He does not see himself as representing the citizens of the United States (that’s the job desc) but himself as a kind of petulant emperor who needs to be fawned over to do his job. Unpresidential in the extreme,” former under secretary of State Richard Stengel tweeted. 

This tweet perfectly summarizes @potus‘ unfitness for the job. He does not see himself as representing the citizens of the United States (that’s the job desc) but himself as a kind of petulant emperor who needs to be fawned over to do his job. Unpresidential in the extreme. https://t.co/nUFXrJWIUL

— Richard Stengel (@stengel) November 19, 2017

Three UCLA basketball players, including Ball’s son, LiAngelo, were arrested earlier this month on shoplifting charges during a team trip to China. 

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Trump reportedly spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to the country earlier in the month about releasing the players, who were returned home last week.

Trump on Sunday said he should have left the players arrested for shoplifting in jail after LaVar Ball did not express gratitude to Trump for his role in the players’ release.

Trump then doubled down on the remark later in the day Sunday, saying he “should have gotten his son out during my next trip to China instead.”

In an interview with ESPN, LaVar Ball downplayed Trump’s significance in resolving the matter.

“What was he over there for?” Ball said. “Don’t tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out.”

The UCLA players thanked President Trump last week for helping to secure their release and also apologized for their actions. 

“To President Trump and the United States government, thank you for taking the time to intervene on our behalf,” player Cody Riley said in a news conference. “We really appreciate you helping us out.”