LiAngelo Ball

By now, most Americans are aware of the ongoing saga involving UCLA basketball star LiAngelo Ball, and two of his teammates, being detained in China after being accused of shoplifting from several stores.

Ball and his teammates were caught on a security camera committing the crime while their team was in China for a basketball game. The three college athletes could have faced significant jail time if convicted, but they will avoid any major punishment for their actions.

Fortunately for these three kids, President Trump was able to step in and secure their release just in the nick of time. President Trump reportedly spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Asia last week and urged his Chinese counterpart to go easy on these three young Americans.

It seems as though the Chinese president has obliged and now the three Americans are on their way back to the United States.

From The Wall Street Journal:

Three UCLA basketball players detained for a week in China flew back home late Tuesday, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had requested assistance on their behalf from his counterpart Xi Jinping.

UCLA freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley were seen late Tuesday at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport checking into a Delta flight bound for Los Angeles, airline staff said. The flight took off after 9 p.m. Their departure came after a week of tension, with the players detained by police in the eastern city of Hangzhou as suspects in an investigation of suspected shoplifting from a Louis Vuitton boutique.

Ending his trip to Asia on Tuesday, Mr. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that in recent days he asked the Chinese president for help. Mr. Trump called the incident “unfortunate” but said he had had “a great conversation” about the players with China’s leader. “President Xi has been terrific on that subject,” he said.

While I am glad that President Trump was able to secure their release, these kids are extremely dumb and should face some sort of punishment once they return home.

I still can’t understand why anyone would think it would be a good idea to steal from several high-end stores in China. These young men should have known they would get caught and now they have embarrassed themselves and the entire United States.

Bottom line: This incident is a complete black eye for UCLA. The school should expel all three students for life!

Even though these three Americans humiliated this country, are you glad President Trump secured their release? Share your thoughts below! 

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