President Donald Trump called for NFL players protesting the national anthem by kneeling to be fired at a rally on Friday. On Saturday, the NFL released a statement deriding Mr. Trump for his comments.
NFL public relations executive Brian McCarthy tweeted an official statement from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Saturday morning. In it, Goodell called Mr. Trump's statement "divisive."
Often considered an ally to conservative causes, the NFL taking a stand against Mr. Trump could mark a significant change in the public perception of the league office’s political inclinations.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began making waves with his anthem protests in the preseason of the 2016 season. He began kneeling to protest police brutality against minors.
Kaepernick became a free agent this offseason and hasn’t been able to find work despite endorsements of his talents from the likes of Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, the two premier quarterbacks in the league.
Mr. Trump called Kaepernick and other anthem protests a " son of a bitch" and demanded that owners get them off the field during his speech to supporters in Huntsville, AL. He didn't mention Kaepernick by name during the address, but the inferences were clear.
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