Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden applauded the Milwaukee Bucks players on Wednesday for boycotting their playoff game against the Orlando Magic.
“This moment demands moral leadership. And these players answered by standing up, speaking out, and using their platform for good,” the former vice president tweeted Wednesday. “Now is not the time for silence.”
Biden’s tweet included a statement from Bucks players which called for the Wisconsin State Legislature to “take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability, brutality, and criminal justice reform.”
“Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we’ve seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, and the additional shooting of protestors,” the statement read, in part. “Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball.”
Former President Barack Obama has also praised the Bucks’ move, tweeting “I commend the players on the @Bucks for standing up for what they believe in, coaches like @DocRivers, and the @NBA and @WNBA for setting an example. It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values.”
If your keeping score, President Donald Trump has yet to comment or tweet about the NBA boycotts.
The Democratic party clearly doesn’t want to be on the wrong side of this movement and is sending messages to Americans that one major way to see change going forward is by voting on November 3rd.
