President Donald Trump has reportedly presonally intervened on behalf of UCLA basketball player LiAngelo Ball and his two teammates, who were arrested in China.
The Washington Post reports that Trump discussed the case with Chinese president Xi Jinping. Xi promised to look into the case, and promised the three players would be “treated fairly and expeditiously.”
Ball and his teammates Cody Riley and Jalen Hill better hope Trump can save them from the charges of stealing from a Louis Vuitton store, seeing as how they’re facing up to 10 years in a Chinese prison.
I speculated a few days ago that this seemed like the perfect situation for Trump to get involved with. It would be the greatest public relations play for him if he could free three college basketball players, especially because LiAngelo is relatively well-known in the sports world. He might not have gotten them out, but they’re reportedly only going to get a slap on the wrist with house arrest at a luxury hotel.
That’s a far cry from 10 years in a Chinese lockup. It looks good for Trump if he gets three athletes free, and it’s good for the UCLA basketball players not to be incarcerated in a foreign country.