(The Federalist) Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and “Shark Tank” cast member, explicitly refused to defend democratic protesters in Hong Kong facing oppression from the Chinese Communist Party, after he was challenged to do so by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
“Can you say ‘Free Hong Kong’?” the Republican senator asked Cuban in a tweet. “Can you condemn the CCP’s concentration camps w/ 1 million Uyghurs?”
Cuban responded by voicing support for the Black Lives Matter movement, insisting that systemic racism exists in America, and criticizing Cruz for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. But he failed to even mention the people of Hong Kong or the Uyghur Muslims being persecuted by the Chinese government.
Instead, he suggested that he was only concerned with China “as it concerns American citizens” — oddly reminiscent of the “America First” policies popularized by President Trump, who Cuban criticized in his Twitter thread.
Cuban defended his silence on China by claiming “I have never gotten involved in the domestic policies of ANY foreign country.”
Despite his claims, Cuban has spoken about China’s policies before — and in favor of the communist government’s actions. In 2019, he weighed in on tariffs, calling China “the ‘stable’ trading partner that doesn’t create or escalate trade wars.”
Cuban’s unwillingness to condemn the Chinese government’s treatment of its people comes after the NBA banned fans from creating customs jerseys with the slogan “FreeHongKong” while allowing phrases such as “KillCops”.
I can say Black Lives Matter. I can say there is systemic racism in this country. I can say there is a Pandemic that you have done little to end. I can say I care about this country first and last and.. https://t.co/URFs41XloY
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) July 20, 2020
