NBA Owner Says Uyghur Comments 'Lacked Empathy,' Does Not Apologize

Democrat Party megadonor and NBA Co-Owner Chamath Palihapitiya is doing damage control after saying that no one cares if China is committing genocide against its minority Uyghur population, but he is still not apologizing for his remarks.

On Saturday, the billionaire CEO of Societal Capital told the hosts of the All-In podcast that people just don’t care about the enslavement and genocide China is perpetrating against its Muslim Uyghur minority population. And he has other priorities to worry about.

Owner of the @warriorsἼ says he doesn’t care about the Uyghurs.

The conversation goes downhill from there.@chamath…

– questions whether a genocide is actually happening
– says the CCP isn’t a dictatorship
– says the US is no better than the CCP pic.twitter.com/qAwi7hUPvo

— Michael Sobolik (@michaelsobolik) January 17, 2022

“Nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs, OK? You bring it up because you really care, and I think it’s nice that you care. The rest of us don’t care. I’m just telling you a very hard, ugly truth. Of all the things that I care about, yes, it is below my line. Of all the things that I care about, it is below my line,” said.

Palihapitiya was quickly blasted for his indifference to genocide. And now, according to the New York Post, Palihapitiya is trying to perform some damage control.

“In re-listening to this week’s podcast, I recognize that I come across as lacking empathy,” Palihapitiya tweeted on Tuesday. “I acknowledge that entirely.”

Important issues deserve nuanced discussions. Some clarifying comments: pic.twitter.com/St2jccsu05

— Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath) January 18, 2022

“As a refugee, my family fled a country with its own human rights issues, so this is something that is very much a part of my lived experience. To be clear, my belief is that human rights matter, whether in China, the United States, or elsewhere. Full stop,” he added.

Palihapitiya did not apologize for his comments, nor did he say what happens to the Uyghurs matters.

On Monday, the Warriors distanced themselves from his intemperate remarks.

“As a limited investor who has no day-to-day operating functions with the Warriors, Mr. Palihapitiya does not speak on behalf of our franchise, and his views certainly don’t reflect those of our organization,” the team said in a statement on Monday.

Even the Biden administration rejected Palihapitiya’s callous feelings about the Uyghurs.

“The Biden Administration rejects this statement and will continue to hold the PRC accountable,” the spokeswoman said. Citing the Biden administration’s support for the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act, the spokeswoman reiterated Biden’s commitment to “ensure all global supply chains are free from the use of forced labor.”

Palihapitiya is a major Democrat Donor having donated more than $1 million to Democrats during the 2020 election cycle — including $250,000 to the Biden Victory Fund

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston.