A slew of sports media outlets have covered the presidential election results and while many lashed out at President-elect Donald Trump, TNT’s NBA pre- and post-game personalities struck a different tone and were led by host Ernie Johnson revealing that while he disliked both candidates, but was “hopeful” for the future due to his identity as follower and believer in Jesus Christ.
Johnson ruled that, as someone who’s a Christian, he would be praying for Trump as well as those who are feeling scared for their own future in light of his election over Hillary Clinton.
Along with Johnson, NBA players Charles Barkley, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, and Shaq each voiced their opinions and showed leadership by imploring the American people to give Trump a chance since he will be our president even though the former two admitted they didn’t vote or want Trump to win.
When it was Johnson’s turn, he began by voicing his opinion on the two candidates that millions of Americans felt and perhaps most keenly aligned with those in the Never Trump crowd:
When this campaign season started, I felt like I had been dealt a bad hand. I had these couple of choices and there were trust issues with Hillary Clinton. I couldn’t get past and there was this inflammatory rhetoric from Donald Trump which, to me, was incomprehensible and indefensible. I couldn’t vote for either one.
The TNT host and MLB on TBS announcer revealed that he wrote-in John Kasich’s name for president not because he thought Kasich would win but so he could have “with a clear conscience cause I hadn’t settled” then moved on what he thought of Thursday’s scene at the White House between the President and the President-elect.
“I’m hopeful. I watched the video today on CNN of what was going on at the White House with Donald Trump, President Obama. I was hopeful and I was encouraged that there will be a difference between the President Trump and the campaigning Trump and I’m with these guys. We have to give him a chance. I just hope that he’s all in on fixing the wounds in this country,” he opined.
On that theme, Johnson set an example for all Americans by rhetorically asking himself questions about what he can do to heal the country:
I want to be a part of that too and for me to be part of it, I have to look in the mirror and I have to say: “How am I going to be a better man? How am I going to be a better neighbor? How am I going to be a better citizen? How am I going to be a better American? How can I be a fountain and not a drain?”
Admitting that he had already broken the rule of not discussing politics in public, Johnson declared that he would break the other rule by tackling religion because while he “never know[s] from one election to the next who’s going to be in the Oval Office, but I always know who’s on the throne and I’m on this Earth because God created me and that’s who I answer to.”
The emotion was palpable as he informed those who weren’t aware that he’s “a Christian” and “follow[s] a guy named Jesus” before pointing out that “[t]he greatest commandment He gave me was to love others and Scripture also tells us to pray for our leaders.”
“That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to pray for Donald Trump. I’m going to pray for all those people who feel like they’re on the outside looming in who are afraid at this point. Pray for them too. In short, I’m praying for America,” Johnson testified.
He concluded the moving two-minute-and-14-second commentary by stating that he was “praying that one day, we’re going to look back and say you know what? That Donald Trump presidency? That was alright, but I’m praying.”
The relevant portions of the transcript from the NBA on TNT’s pre-game show from November 10 can be found below.
TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
November 10, 2016
ERINIE JOHNSON: When this campaign season started, I felt like I had been dealt a bad hand. I had these couple of choices and there were trust issues with Hillary Clinton. I couldn’t get past and there was this inflammatory rhetoric from Donald Trump which, to me, was incomprehensible and indefensible. I couldn’t vote for either one. For the first time in going to the polls in 42 years, I hit the write-in button and I voted for John Kasich and I left knowing that John Kasich wasn’t going to win, but I left with a clear conscience cause I hadn’t settled. Number two, I’m hopeful. I watched the video today on CNN of what was going on at the White House with Donald Trump, President Obama. I was hopeful and I was encouraged that there will be a difference between the President Trump and the campaigning Trump and I’m with these guys. We have to give him a chance, but here’s the deal. I just hope that he’s all in on fixing the wounds in this country and the divides that separate this country and I want to be a part of that too and for me to be part of it, I have to look in the mirror and I have to say: “How am I going to be a better man? How am I going to be a better neighbor? How am I going to be a better citizen? How am I going to be a better American? How can I be a fountain and not a drain?”
And number three, I know you’re not supposed to talk about politics and religion, but we’re already talking about politics and so I’m going to go the r-direction too. I never know from one election to the next who’s going to be in the Oval Office, but I always know who’s on the throne and I’m on this Earth because God created me and that’s who I answer to. I’m a Christian. I follow this guy named Jesus. You may have heard of Him and the greatest commandment He gave me was to love others and Scripture also tells us to pray for our leaders and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to pray for Donald Trump. I’m going to pray for all those people who feel like they’re on the outside looming in who are afraid at this point. Pray for them too. In short, I’m praying for America and I’m praying that one day, we’re going to look back and say you know what? That Donald Trump presidency? That was alright, but I’m praying.
