Keith Boykin shuts down Ben Ferguson's claim Trump deserves praise for treatment of freed basketball players

President Donald Trump chose to begin his day with an early-morning tirade against LaVar Ball, the father of a UCLA basketball player accused of shoplifting sunglasses in China. Trump has spent several days claiming no one would thank him for intervening. When he was thanked by the young man, he then turned to attack the father, who refused to thank Trump in an interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo. Yet, somehow conservative radio host, Ben Ferguson, thought Trump deserved praise for the treatment.

"This is what Donald Trump is going to do with his Twitter," conservative radio host Ben Ferguson explained. "Whether you like it or not, he's going to be blunt. He's going to fight back... I don't know why anyone is surprised that the president decides to tweet about things like this."

Ferguson did admit that he wouldn't endorse Trump's Twitter war with Ball if it were up to him. But he then went on to say that Trump deserves credit for intervening in the matter in China.

Democratic commentator Keith Boykin railed against Trump's knack for saying the worst possible thing at the worst possible time -- particularly if it has to do with people of color. He cited the attacks on the NFL players, Trump's flub on Charlottesville, and the administration's sluggish response to multiple hurricanes in Puerto Rico.

"I do know that the president has a history of racism," Boykin said.

Boykin agreed Trump acted like a president in securing the players' release. However, he noted, "I'm not completely sure that he did for the same reason."

Ferguson blasted Boykin's comments, saying that "playing the race card" is getting "old."

Watch it all unfold below: