Steve Kerr ripped by Donald Trump’s campaign over previous China comments after claiming it was ‘too important to not speak up’ at DNC

Steve Kerr has come under fire from Donald Trump’s campaign after comments he made about China and human rights abuses resurfaced following his speech at the Democratic National Convention. 

Days after leading Team USA to men’s basketball gold at the Olympics in Paris, the Warriors head coach took to the stage in Chicago.

Ahead of the election in November, Kerr endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice President, respectively – and even took a shot at Trump. 

The speech divided opinion among NBA fans and now Kerr has been attacked over previous comments he made about the US and China.

Back in 2019, the Warriors coach was asked whether – on any of the team’s trips to the Far East – it had ever come up that the business interests of the NBA were at odds with China’s human rights record.

Kerr mocked Donald Trump by mimicking his star Warriors player Steph Curry’s celebration

Kerr said it hadn’t, before citing the human rights ‘abuses’ that occur in the United States. ‘None of us our perfect and we all have different issues that we have to get to,’ he said.

Kerr also refused to comment after then-Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was caught in a firestorm over a tweet supporting protestors in Hong Kong.  ‘I handled it really poorly,’ the Warriors coach later admitted.

But both clips have re-appeared on social media in the wake of his DNC speech, with Kerr accused of being willing to criticize America but not China.

Trump’s campaign account was among those to slam the Warriors coach, writing on X: ‘Steve Kerr said tonight that “speaking out about politics these days comes with risks… but it was too important as an American citizen to not speak up.” 

‘This is the same Steve Kerr that had no comment when he was asked about China’s human rights abuses.’

The account added alongside a clip of his 2019 comments: ‘Kerr is an apologist for China’s human rights abuses.’ 

Kerr has come under fire from Trump’s campaign after comments he made about China

Kerr was speaking at a Warriors press conference when he was accused of equating China’s human rights abuses with issues at home.

‘It has not come up in terms of people asking me about it, people discussing it. No,’ Kerr said at the time. ‘Nor has our record of human rights abuses come up, either. Things that our country needs to look at and resolve – that hasn’t come up either. 

‘So none of us our perfect and we all have different issues that we have to get to. Saying that is my right as an American. It doesn’t mean that I hate my country. It means I want to address things. 

‘But people in China didn’t ask me about people owning AR-15s and mowing each other down in a mall. 

‘I wasn’t asked that question so we can play this game all we want – and go all over the map – and there’s this issue and that issue. The world is a complex place and there is more gray than black and white.’

‘None of us our perfect and we all have different issues that we have to get to,’ Kerr said in 2019