Le Batard Absent From Radio Show After Assailing Trump, ESPN
NEW YORK (AP) — ESPN's Dan Le Batard was not at his radio show Monday after attracting attention for criticizing President Donald Trump's racist tweets and his network's policy of avoiding politics unless it involved sports.
There was no explanation for his absence. ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys declined comment and Le Batard did not immediately return a telephone message.
An ESPN employee says it was Le Batard's choice to take the day off and this was not a disciplinary action. The employee was not authorized to speak publicly about personnel matters and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.
Le Batard said last week that Trump's attacks on four Democratic congresswomen were un-American. As for ESPN's policy of avoiding politics, he said the network doesn't have "the stomach" for the fight.