CNN melts over Trump's basketball player tweets

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That the three players are all young black men should also not be lost here. Trump's history on racial issues -- both as president and as a private citizen -- shows some level of intentionality when it comes to using racially coded language and taking advantage of racial animus and stereotypes for his own political gain.

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The image of an older white man in a position of power demanding thanks from three young black men for saving them will set off a lot of alarm bells for people. And, understandably so, given Trump's previous actions in the wake of the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and in the ongoing NFL anthem protests.

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Trump is someone who likes to be praised. He likes to be adulated at all times -- and tends to respond well to people who say nice things about him. (See "Putin, Vladimir.") He wants to get credit. Always. He seethes when either he doesn't get the credit he thinks he deserves or sees someone else getting credit for something he did.

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Case in point: Steve Bannon's stock fell in Trump's eyes in the early days of the administration when the White House strategist was cast as the real power behind the throne -- in both a Time magazine cover and in his portrayal on "Saturday Night Live." This, from an April New York Times story, is illuminating on that front:

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