Trump says he should have left three UCLA basketballers in Chinese jail, after parent belittles his efforts

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President Donald Trump, who said he should have left three UCLA basketball players in a Chinese jail after the father of one of the players minimised his role in their release. Photo: AP

Published: 5:00am, 20 Nov 2017Updated: 8:54pm, 20 Nov 2017

President Donald Trump says he should have left three UCLA basketball players accused of shoplifting in China in jail.

Trump’s tweet on Sunday came after the father of player LiAngelo Ball minimised Trump’s involvement in winning the players’ release.

“Who?” LaVar Ball told ESPN on Friday, when asked about Trump’s involvement in the matter. “What was he over there for? Don’t tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out.”

Trump has said he raised the players’ detention with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the leaders’ recent meeting in Beijing.

LaVar Ball, father of basketball player LiAngelo Ball, who minimised the role of US President Donald Trump in winning the release of his son after he and two others were jailed for shoplifting in China. Photo: AFP

The players returned to the US and last week and they have been indefinitely suspended from the team.

In his tweet, Trump said that LaVar Ball, father of player LiAngelo Ball, had been “unaccepting of what I did for his son”, adding “I should have left them in jail”.

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