Former U.S. President Donald Trump asked his supporters in a rally in Milwaukee recently if he is more Greek than Giannis Antetokounmpo, sparking widespread controversy about the motivation of his remarks.
In a recent campaign rally held at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Trump made a series of controversial and, according to many, racially charged comments, particularly targeting NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, also known as ”the Greek Freak”.
The people who attended the rally, which took place in the same venue where the Republican National Convention was held earlier this year, heard Trump questioning Antetokounmpo’s Greek identity in a bizarre way as he compared himself to the basketball player.
Trump began his speech by praising a previous rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, where several speakers, including comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, made controversial remarks that were described by many in the US television as ”racist”.
Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “garbage island” during his speech, sparking a massive wave of negative reactions, including famous singer Jennifer Lopez.
Former president Trump continued his remarks mentioning Antetokounmpo, seemingly unaware of the player’s background. ”Your team is very good. I would say the Greek is a seriously good player,” Trump noted before adding the controversial remarks.
”Tell me, who has more Greek in him, the Greek or me?” Trump said. The crowd seemed to freeze at that point, with Trump immediately adding ”I think we have about the same, right?”
As there was no reaction from the crowd, Trump went on saying ”maybe he is the best player in the NBA.”
Who is Antetokounmpo Whose Greek origins Trump questioned
Antetokounmpo was born and raised in Athens to Nigerian parents. He holds Greek citizenship, speaks fluent Greek, and represents the Greek national basketball team with pride.
Trump’s comments have drawn criticism, as usual. The fact that Trump would question Antetokounmpo’s Greek identity and compare himself to the player has left many people baffled as one could wonder if Trump would have made the same remarks if Antetokounmpo was white.
Earlier, Trump had also boasted about his “wonderful white skin.” He claimed that his skin was not tanned because he didn’t have time for sunbathing due to his campaign commitments ahead of the election.
“I could be sitting on the beach with waves hitting my face. This wonderful white skin of mine would be nice and tanned. I have the whitest skin because I don’t find time for sunbathing. But I have this beautiful white skin. And you know what? It could be beautiful, tanned, beautiful,” Trump said.
These comments come after Trump had previously questioned whether Kamala Harris was truly Black in July, saying that ”she turned black recently”.
