Trump Suggests Giannis Antetokounmpo Isn’t a Real Greek

Former President Donald Trump appeared to question whether Milwaukee Bucks basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo can actually be called Greek.

The NBA champion and two-time MVP – admiringly nicknamed The Greek Freak – was born and raised in Athens to Nigerian parents. Antetokounmpo is a Greek citizen, speaks fluent Greek, and plays on the Greek Olympic team.

On Friday night, Trump spoke at Fiserv Forum, where the Bucks play their home games and where the Republican National Convention was held this year. He began by praising his rally at Madison Square Garden, where several speakers made controversial and outright racist remarks. Speaking at the rally, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating pile of garbage” and made a crack about Black people carving watermelons at a Halloween party.

“Was that a great event?” Trump asked the crowd in Milwaukee. “But honestly, it was basically the same– the same crowd as you have here, right? Same thing. Your NBA arena. Your team is very good. I would say the Greek is a seriously good player. Do you agree? And tell me, who has more Greek in him? The Greek or me? I think we have about the same. Right? He is some– he’s a great play– maybe the best player in the NBA, actually. He may be the best player. He’s supposed to be a very good guy, too. But with your help we’re going to defeat Kamala Harris and we’re going to make America great again.”

Trump’s family roots trace to Germany and Scotland.

Just hours earlier, at a rally in Michigan, Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris before immediately bragging about his “beautiful white skin,” which he said is not tanned because he is too busy campaigning to hit the beach.

“I could’ve had those waves smacking me in the face,” he said. “That white, beautiful white skin that I have would be nice and tan. I got the whitest skin ’cause I never have time to go out in the sun. But I have that beautiful white, and you know what? It could’ve been beautiful, tanned, beautiful.”

In July, Trump questioned whether Harris is actually black.

“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black,” he said at the time. “And now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?”

Watch above via C-SPAN.