President Trump welcomed the return of professional sports during the coronavirus pandemic, but warned that the “game is over” for him if athletes kneel during the “The Star-Spangled Banner” game before the games.
“I am eager to experience sports, but every time I witness a kneeling player during the National Anthem, a sign of great disrespect for our country and our flag, the game ends for me!” Twitter on Tuesday.
Trump’s post appeared to be in response to San Francisco Giants general manager Gabe Kapler, who knelt with several other players before an exhibition game against the Oakland Athletics on Monday.
Kapler told players that he wanted to use his platform to draw attention to racial inequality.
“I wanted to demonstrate my dissatisfaction with our clear systemic racism in our country and I wanted them to know that they had to make their own decisions and that we would respect and support those decisions,” he said. “I wanted them to feel safe talking.”
Trump has long called professional athletes for kneeling during the national anthem since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick did so during the 2016 NFL preseason to protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
The president has asked NFL owners to fire the kneeling players.
But the issues have received renewed attention during protests surrounding the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody in May.
African-American NFL players called on the NFL to “condemn racism and systemic oppression of blacks.”
In response, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he was on board.
“I personally protest with you, and I want to be part of the much-needed change in this country,” he said.
Trump, at a rally last month in Tulsa, Oklahoma, expressed surprise at his comments.
“And explain this to the NFL. I like the NFL, I like Roger Goodell, but I didn’t like what he said a week ago, ”said the president.
“I said, ‘Where did that come from in the middle of summer? No one even asks, ” Trump continued. “We will never kneel before our national anthem or our great American flag. We will stand proud and stand tall. ”
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