LeBron James is officially back in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump over his performative antics during the national anthem during his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers this week.
James, who has turned into something of a golf addict, was spotted taking some practice swings in his new 76ers gear as the rest of the team stood respecting the anthem during Tuesday's game against the defending NBA champions.
"While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country! I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE. LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!" the President wrote Thursday in a Truth Social post.
This isn't the first time James has pulled this stunt. Last year, on Christmas Day, while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, he went through the same golf swing routine.
It's no secret that Trump isn't a fan of James. Earlier this year, the president said why he believes Michael Jordan was better than James.
"Michael Jordan is a guy that's a friend of mine, play golf with him. He's a really good guy. And I think LeBron is, maybe he's a racist, but maybe he doesn't like Trump, I don't know. But I only like people that like me. So, I would say Michael Jordan all the way," the president said.
LeBron's history of anthem antics
In October 2019, as James was embroiled in drama surrounding his loving support of China, he pulled this stunt during the anthem. "LeBron is READY," the NBA on ESPN Twitter account proudly tweeted as if it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Do you want more instances of LeBron disrespecting the anthem? Let's fast-forward to 2023 at a USC basketball game featuring his son, Bronny James. That's the drama queen arriving to his seats during the anthem and taking a seat as the rest of the arena shows respect.
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Thursday to ban protests by "individuals or groups with no legitimate authority" as he blamed "ultra-left groups" for riots and looting that spread across his country.
Macron made the remarks as thousands of protesters took to the streets of Paris on Thursday, according to The Associated Press, ahead of larger demonstrations set for this weekend.
"Last Saturday we had political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic," Macron was quoted by Reuters as saying following a meeting with intelligence officials.
The news agency reported that businesses in central Paris have started boarding up their windows over concerns of violence on Saturday. Local authorities also told Reuters that protests planned for Saturday in Lyon have been banned.
Macron said the strategy adopted for the coming days is to ban protests requested by "individuals or groups with no legitimate authority."
"Where trade unions submit requests to hold demonstrations, prefects will examine them in accordance with the law, but alternative routes will be proposed" to protect city centers, businesses and public buildings, Macron said.
"The rules are simple, and I think they're just common sense. The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations in the coming days," he said. "For those who still want to protest, if they are trade unions, prefects will propose alternative routes."
Organizers of the Paris protest on Thursday said an administrative court in the city overturned a ban issued by police after they challenged it. The Paris police prefecture previously said the ban was necessary, given the risk of street violence after groups of masked youth clashed with police forces, looted shops and torched cars over the weekend.
The protests began in France in September with calls for education reform, before expanding into larger anti-government demonstrations that French officials say are being fueled by far-left groups.
Protesters gathered peacefully and chanted in the southeastern part of Paris on Thursday while they were watched by a heavy police presence, the AP reported.
Thursday's planned protests were seen as a prelude to Saturday's big demonstration, when activists from the "yellow vest" movement, whose demonstrations over fuel prices shook France in 2018 and 2019, and the CGT labor union, are expected to join.
Modern Times Café, the Minneapolis restaurant that eliminated prices for meals to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has apparently protested itself right out of business.
Emmanuel Macron has said “illegitimate” demonstrations will be banned over the coming days as France seeks to get a grip on civil unrest after some of its worst street violence in years erupted on the fringes of cost of living protests at the weekend.
Speaking after a meeting with intelligence officials and senior ministers, the French president said on Thursday that demonstrations organised by recognised groups would be allowed to go ahead, although their routes could be changed.
Emmanuel Macron has said “illegitimate” demonstrations will be banned over the coming days as France seeks to get a grip on civil unrest after some of its worst street violence in years erupted on the fringes of cost of living protests at the weekend.
Speaking after a meeting with intelligence officials and senior ministers, the French president said on Thursday that demonstrations organised by recognised groups would be allowed to go ahead, although their routes could be changed.
FIRST ON FOX: A French business owner who had five of her family's stores wrecked by looters last week said this coming Saturday's protest could be a watershed moment for France.
Her message to President Emmanuel Macron: "Next Saturday is your last chance to save France," Michele Teboul, the business owner, said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Addressing both Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and Macron, she said, "If they don't do whatâs necessary to do next Saturday, I think it is lost for France."
Teboul lost more than merchandise when looters ransacked 15 of the stores owned by her family, leaving five completely destroyed. She is also losing faith in whether the government of France can still protect them.
Teboul accused authorities of failing to provide enough police to protect businesses, leaving families like hers facing destroyed stores and a costly recovery. She demanded that they protect the population before another Saturday.
Her retail operations include stores in Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille and Montpellier. Her sons work within the same company and operate their own brand, she said.
For her family, protections put in place before the violence proved insufficient. Attackers used axes to break through boarding, she said, leaving her sons facing a difficult recovery.
"We can say that five of the most important stores have been looted," she said, describing those locations as "completely destroyed."
Now, her family needs to pay for additional protection while trying to meet insurance security requirements.
Teboul said it would take at least two months to repair and secure the stores to the required standards. She described those requirements as a condition for obtaining insurance coverage, adding another obstacle to reopening and recovering the business.
Companies with established operations and financial reserves may be able to absorb the disruption, she said. Younger businesses face a more difficult path.
"The government said they would help us," Teboul said. "We are going to see."
Her sons have hired security guards with dogs. She also said she had heard of other shopkeepers obtaining weapons or tear gas, emphasizing that her sons had not purchased weapons.
"Some have bought weapons," she said. "You know, we are not used to weapons in France."
The concern extends beyond damaged merchandise and storefronts. Teboul, who is Jewish, said that many Jews are considering leaving France and warned that further disorder could deepen that uncertainty if things don't get better.
"It is going to be very hard to imagine a future in France for us, especially for Jews," she said of her hope that the coming Saturday would be different.
Teboul said Jewish schools, synagogues and community businesses have dedicated security arrangements. Teboul is a former director of CRIF, the umbrella organization representing French Jewish institutions.
She stressed, however, that the weekend's violence was a national problem affecting people beyond the Jewish community.
"The specific problem of last Saturday is not a problem of Jews," she said. "The whole of France is concerned by this problem."
Teboul said looters sought streetwear and expensive merchandise. She accused police of failing to protect businesses during the unrest on Saturday, saying officers were overwhelmed as large crowds descended on city centers, particularly in Marseille and Lyon.
She cited an estimate she had heard being talked of as being around 30,000 young people arriving in central Marseille, a figure Fox News Digital could not independently verify.
Leading French broadcaster BFM reported on its X account that "Between 1,800 and 3,000 people" engaged in "the ransacking of the city center of Marseille, according to the prosecutor's estimates."
For Teboul, the next test is whether authorities can protect what remains of their livelihood and everyone else in the country and restore their sense of security in France.
"We have to feel secure," she said. "We do not feel secure for the moment."
Teboul warned that another failure to protect the population could also have consequences for the government of Emmanuel Macron.
"The government may fall down," she said.
Fox News Digital's Sydney Finver contributed to this report.
As violent riots grip France, British political leader Nigel Farage warned Americans against repeating what he described as Europe's mass immigration failures, arguing that years of unchecked migration have transformed European cities and fueled unrest that could eventually spread elsewhere.
"People like me who were warning about this years ago have sadly been proven right, but the problems are gonna be here for a very, very long time," Farage told Fox News Digital in an interview. "Please, please don't make the same level of mistakes that we have," he said in his message to Americans.
Violent riots have erupted across parts of Europe in recent weeks, particularly in France, with Farage pointing to years of mass migration and failed political leadership as key factors fueling the unrest. The Reform UK leader singled out Emmanuel Macron, arguing that the French president should have mobilized the military to confront the violence, after education protests spiraled into riots, destruction and theft.
"Macron was asleep at the wheel, and it isn't just that he was at a concert," Farage said. "And whilst the French do have effective police forces, the scale of the uprising, I mean the mass looting, the mass looting and violence that took place in Paris was genuinely horrendous."
"Meloni's reaction was swifter and a better sign of leadership," Farage said, referring to the Italian leader deploying 500 military troops to Milan in response to recent riots. "But the problem is, for people like Macron, who have always said, any criticism of immigration, whether legal or illegal, makes you racist, they psychologically find it hard to face up to their own failures of policy."
Farage warned that the unrest he described in France and elsewhere in Europe could eventually erupt in Britain, pointing to demonstrations in London and questioning whether British leaders would respond more forcefully than Macron.
"You know, my real worry is they can happen in this country too," Farage said. "We've got the same hard left here. We've the same hate mobs that march, chanting in the streets of London, from the river to the sea."
"I'm concerned that these things could happen here. And I wonder whether a British prime minister has got any more courage than President Macron in France," he added.
Farage contrasted Europe's failure to control its borders with President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in the United States.
"Look, whatever you think of President Trump's current policies, one thing he has done, and he promised he'd do. He's closed the southern border," Farage said.
Trump vowed Tuesday to treat potential rioters in the U.S. "very rough," pointing to the unrest in France, he said at a rally in Greenville, North Carolina, before being interrupted by a protestor in the crowd.
"They're crazy, these people. Look at that guy. He's a nutjob," Trump said, in reference to the protester.
He warned that he would crack down on potential threats, saying he would not allow similar unrest to take hold in the U.S.
"That's what you witness over the last three or four days. You watch nutjobs like him in France ruining their country," Trump said. "We're not going to put up with it by the way."
"If a possible threat, which could happen, I hope you won't get angry if I treat them very, very rough, because that's what's going to happen. They're not going to destroy our country," he said.
On Tuesday, British counterterrorism police rearrested two men suspected of assisting Iranian intelligence in an alleged plot targeting RAF Fairford, a U.K. base used by U.S. bombers.
"I've called again and again for this to be declared a national security emergency. I have been ignored. If the Americans removing their bombers from RAF Fairford isn't enough warning. I don't know what is," he said.
"We've just become so caught up over here in Europe and Britain with this human rights culture, which puts the interests, frankly, of the bad guys above the interests of the majority."
Zini's working trip reportedly planned a while ago, included meetings with top intelligence officials to discuss confronting terrorism and Islamic extremism
ATLANTA – A change of cities did not bring a change in the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries’ national anthem routine.
Both teams were off the court during the anthem before Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena, marking their third straight absence despite a provision in the league’s own rulebook calling for players to stand and line up during the performance.
Just like in Games 1 and 2, players jogged off the court just seconds before the start of the anthem and returned mere moments after it concluded.
The WNBA, both teams and the NBA still have not answered OutKick’s questions about the absences.
WNBA rulebook calls for players to stand and line up
The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook says players, coaches and trainers are to "stand and line up in a dignified posture" along the sidelines or on the foul line during the national anthem.
OutKick asked the WNBA whether any discipline was planned or under consideration following the anthem absences, whether either team had received an exemption and whether the league would instruct the teams to be on the court for Game 3.
Both teams were asked to explain their absences and whether the league had communicated any instructions or expectations about the anthem.
OutKick first contacted the WNBA, Dream and Valkyries after Saturday’s opener, followed up Sunday and contacted all three again Tuesday.
NBA also received questions before Game 3
The questions extended to the NBA league office before the series moved to Atlanta.
OutKick contacted NBA Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass on Tuesday, asking whether the NBA has any role in overseeing or enforcing the WNBA’s anthem provision.
The inquiry also asked whether NBA Commissioner Adam Silver or anyone at the NBA league office had discussed the absences with WNBA leadership, whether any guidance had been provided and whether the teams would be instructed to be present for Wednesday’s anthem.
The NBA did not respond.
OutKick also sought to ask about the anthem during the Finals press conferences. I raised my hand at all five of Saturday’s pregame and postgame sessions, all four coaches’ sessions Monday and both coaches’ pregame sessions Wednesday, but was not called on in any of the 11.
The teams weren’t the only ones who didn’t stand for Wednesday’s anthem.
Two people seated in an area designated for WNBA public relations staff remained in their seats during the performance. Afterward, I asked both why they hadn’t stood. Neither provided an explanation.
OutKick could not immediately confirm their identities and is working to determine their names and roles.
The venue changed, but the anthem absences continued.
Three games into the Finals, the WNBA’s own rulebook calls for a lineup, its teams remain off the floor and the league still has not explained the apparent violation.
Serbia's upcoming parliamentary elections on October 25 have been rocked by so-called "student protests" in the runup to Sunday's voting, and USAID funding is still flowing to an organization supporting opponents of Aleksandar Vučić.
In this segment of Free Media, Reason Senior Editor Robby Soave and Daily Caller Editor in Chief Amber Duke discuss the ongoing violent protests in France.
If you enjoy Free Media, come watch Robby debate at our upcoming Reason Versus in D.C. Tickets are available here.
Vice President JD Vance sharply called out WNBA players in the league finals over skipping the national anthem during an interview Wednesday, calling them "disgraceful."
Players from both the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries have left the court during the national anthem before the first two games of the WNBA Finals, despite a rule in the league’s own rulebook specifically calling for players to stand and line up during the performance.
"I think it's disgraceful," Vance told host Raymond Arroyo on "Arroyo Grande." "I think that you should not express some criticism of a public policy of a given politician by disrespecting the country writ large. I mean, those women who play for the WNBA, think of the public safety, think of the incredible wealth and privilege, the amazing jobs that they have. They have a lot to be grateful to the United States for, and I think that if they had a bit more of a spirit of gratitude, they'd be happier people, and they wouldn't offend so many people as well."
Vance also appeared to cite Saint Augustine’s idea of Ordo Amoris, a concept from Catholic thought that Vance cited in 2025 to defend administration deportation policies.
"I've gotten some trouble talking about this, but I'll just talk about it again," Vance said. "One of the ways I understand the Catholic understanding is that we have various orders of duty, and you know, our closest and most immediate duty, of course, is to our family and to the people in our immediate circle. But we, of course, owe duties to the entire world. We owe duties to the stranger. But I also think a good and coherent understanding of the Christian self is that you are part of a national community."
He added, "Whether you were born in the United States or whether you came here by choice, this is your country. And I think that we're all meant to love it. We're all meant to try to make it the best version of itself. But fundamentally, I think, without love of country, I think that you're going to be a disordered human being."
Fox News Digital spoke to veteran GOP strategist Mary Marslender, who argued, like Vance, that the basketball players lack perspective on how great it is to live in the United States.
"The WNBA players are treating a country that has given them extraordinary privileges as if it were an oppressor, while ignoring that American women enjoy rights and opportunities that remain rare or nonexistent for most women elsewhere," she said. "They seem to forget that a league like the WNBA exists and its players can publicly dissent without fear of state reprisal solely because of these rights and opportunities. If these activists hate this country that much, they are free to leave it. The rest of us are done with this disrespect."
Fox News Digital reached out to the WNBA, as well as the Women's National Basketball Players Association, and did not receive an immediate reply.
OutKick's Dan Zaksheske contributed to this report.
The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the court for the national anthem before the first two games of the WNBA Finals. Now Riley Gaines is arguing that those decisions should carry consequences when athletes seek to represent the United States internationally.
"It’s my personal opinion that if you kneel for the flag and what it represents, you shouldn’t be able to represent the USA at the Olympics," Gaines wrote on X.
"The American flag and our national anthem do not represent whichever political party or administration happens to be in power. They represent the American people, our shared identity, the freedoms we enjoy, and the generations of men and women who fought, sacrificed and died to preserve those freedoms," Gaines said.
"Players who leave the court specifically to avoid the national anthem are making a deliberate statement. They are free to do so, of course. Free speech includes the freedom to withhold respect."
"But I’m of the mind that choice has consequences when the same athletes later seek the honor of representing the United States on the international stage."
Neither Finals team nor the WNBA has answered OutKick’s questions about the anthem absences. Nor has the NBA, whose commissioner, Adam Silver, is helping lead the search for the WNBA’s next commissioner.
Gaines said patriotism does not require blind allegiance to a political party or pretending America is without flaws. But she argued that athletes seeking to represent the country should be judged on how they treat its anthem.
"If an athlete treats standing for the anthem as optional or objectionable during the WNBA season, it is reasonable to question whether they are prepared to accept the full weight of representing the country when the spotlight is global," she said.
Former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones called Tuesday for players from both teams to lose their eligibility to represent the United States in Olympic basketball.
Jones wrote that those players "should be ineligible to play on the U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team."
Atlanta’s Team USA connection includes Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard
Reese and Howard were both named to Team USA’s 2026 Women’s World Cup roster. The Dream announced their selections in August, noting that they became the first two players in franchise history selected together for the United States at a five-on-five Women’s World Cup or Olympics.
Golden State had no players on that U.S. World Cup roster, but Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase served as a U.S. assistant coach. Golden State star Gabby Williams represents France.
Both Reese and Howard stood for the national anthem while representing the United States at September’s FIBA Women’s World Cup.
But representing the United States internationally comes with an extra responsibility to show respect for the country at home.
And that responsibility doesn't disappear when the USA jersey comes off and the WNBA jersey goes on. Staying off the court while the anthem plays during the WNBA Finals falls short of the standard we should expect from athletes entrusted with representing this country.
Sage Steele warns anthem absences could drive fans away
Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele also criticized the league in a social media video.
Steele accused the WNBA’s players, coaches and leadership of disrespecting the country by leaving the court for the anthem.
"So are they free to express themselves the way they want? Absolutely. But there’s a cost to it," Steele said.
"And I just hope they realize that this constant lack of respect is going to turn fans away forever. They’re not going to come back, and it’s going to be their own fault," Steele added.
Players are free to express themselves, but as Steele noted, that freedom can come with a price. We're not calling for the players to be jailed.
The First Amendment limits the government’s power to restrict speech, but it doesn’t require fans to support those choices or critics to stay quiet. We have the right to express our disapproval, too.
WNBA rulebook calls for an anthem lineup
Both Finals teams were off the floor during the anthem before Saturday’s opener and Monday’s Game 2 at Chase Center. In both games, the players returned within seconds of the performance ending.
The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook includes a provision calling for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or foul line during the national anthem.
OutKick contacted the WNBA and both teams after Game 1, followed up Sunday and again Tuesday. The inquiries sought explanations for the absences, clarification of the league’s anthem requirements and the teams’ plans for Game 3 on Wednesday night in Atlanta.
Those questions remain unanswered.
For Gaines, the responsibility goes beyond a WNBA pregame routine.
"Wearing the USA jersey is not a private entitlement that comes with athletic success. It is a public responsibility," she said.
The mayor of Nice, France, rebuked Victor Wembanyama for supporting the ongoing protest movement in France, accusing the NBA star of encouraging unrest.
"French celebrities like the basketball player Victor Wembanyama, who called for supporting the riots of October 17, bear a historic responsibility," Ciotti wrote on X. "They must be condemned."
For background, the protests began in September with high school students claiming they were demanding better conditions in French schools, including more resources, improved facilities and relief from overcrowded classrooms. The movement has since expanded into a broader protest against government spending cuts, drawing support from university students, labor unions and members of France's "Yellow Vest" movement.
The unrest escalated significantly on Oct. 17, when an estimated 550,000 to 800,000 people participated in demonstrations across France. Rioters broke out in several major cities, including Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Rioters and looters clashed with police, set fires, damaged public buildings and looted businesses.
Earlier this month, Wembanyama, who was born in France, wrote on Instagram that he'd "really love to" join the protests.
"These are systemic inequalities, problems that are so deep," he added when asked about the demonstrations during a preseason postgame press conference on October 8.
"I’m glad that high school students, young people in general, are making their voices heard, because I hear them and I support them. And I hope the people at the very top will do the same."
Then, on Oct. 16, the eve of the nationwide demonstrations, Wembanyama posted a cryptic image of the White Rabbit from "Alice in Wonderland" pointing to his watch. Some in France interpreted the post as signaling anticipation for the Oct. 17 demonstrations, though Wembanyama did not explain its meaning.
Wembanyama has not publicly commented on the protests since the widespread violence on Oct. 17.
As the emerging face of the NBA, Wembanyama has shown he's more LeBron James than Michael Jordan in his approach to political issues. Last January, he said he ignored the advice of Spurs public relations and spoke out against ICE in America anyway.
"PR has tried, but I'm not going to sit here and give some politically correct [answer]," Wembanyama told reporters. "Every day I wake up and see the news, and I'm horrified. I think it's crazy that some people might make it seem like or sound like the murder of civilians is acceptable."
During the NBA Finals, Wembanyama drew attention for crossing his arms during the playing of the U.S. national anthem. Later in the series, he reportedly stayed off the court entirely during the anthem.
It would behoove the NBA for its biggest star to not align himself with polarizing political causes. James did little to help his own or the league's popularity when he embraced political activism.
I suspect Wembanyama's commentary and demonstrations, whether about America or France, won't help the league's popularity either.
One must also wonder how informed Wembanyama is about the issues on which he comments. This tends to be the question when athletes and celebrities speak out about complicated issues.
His initial support was for students protesting conditions in French schools. Fine. However, the movement he encouraged has since grown into something much larger and, at times, much more violent.
Wembanyama was willing to lend his considerable platform to the demonstrations when they represented a cause he supported. Now that those demonstrations have been accompanied by widespread violence, he ought to use that same platform to condemn it.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he’s not worried about the safety of NFL players, coaches and fans in France, where the league will play a game on Sunday amid widespread rioting across the country. “Our embassy feels the game will be fine,” Rubio told OutKick and Fox News Digital. “We have no indication the…
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he’s not worried about the safety of NFL players, coaches and fans in France, where the league will play a game on Sunday amid widespread rioting across the country. “Our embassy feels the game will be fine,” Rubio told OutKick and Fox News Digital. “We have no indication the…
Tufawon, whose real name is Rafael Gonzalez Jr., made a series of posts on Facebook advocating for White people in the United States to "go outside and raise hell" after he and Greta Thunberg visited Lycée Paul Éluard, the high school in Saint-Denis where many of the student demonstrations kicked off this month.
"Do I think way more people need to become radicalized here? Absolutely, especially white people, and that’s where I think we can take influence from the French."
"All Power to the People!" the 40-year-old rapper wrote on Facebook. "Go f— s— up white people. It's your time."
In an earlier post, he clarified that when he says White Americans need to "raise hell" or "f— s— up" about supposed fascism and authoritarianism under the Trump administration, he means they need to "take it to next level peacefully and legally."
And in a statement to The New York Post, Tufawon said his Facebook posts "fall under figurative speech and in no way, shape or form did I use them with the intent to incite violence of any kind."
Tufawon, who is part Native American, also told the Post that his participation in some of the French protests last week was impromptu because he had been on vacation in the country.
In one video, he was in front of a crowd chanting "f— ICE" and "ICE out" before performing his song "No One Is Illegal."
The protests in France, which began weeks ago as student-led demonstrations against poor classroom conditions and education funding cuts, have now devolved into widespread riots involving a range of political and ideological factions.
Images and videos posted to social media on Saturday and Sunday showed groups of men waving foreign flags while engaging in acts of destruction on the streets of France's major cities.
French officials said they have arrested over 2,500 people in connection with the demonstrations, which have drawn participants motivated by a range of issues, including the cost of living and climate change.
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the country, though looting and violence broke out in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and other cities.
President Donald Trump has preemptively sought to discourage similar conduct in the U.S., saying Tuesday that federal law enforcement would treat potential rioters "very, very rough."
More demonstrations are planned across France on Saturday, with French officials planning a massive security deployment ahead of time to deal with expected unrest.
Dani Watt, wife of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, challenged the NFL’s decision to keep Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints in France on the schedule after protests over school conditions and living costs led to violence, fires, and
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