Donald Trump doubled down on his rhetoric against NFL players exercising their First Amendment rights on Saturday, saying that if players want to make “millions” they should stand for the national anthem or get “fired”
Trump stuck to sports at a rally in Alabama on Friday night, criticizing NFL officiating and unemployed quarterback Colin Kaepernick. On Saturday, he tweeted about Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who Friday had said he would turn down an invite to the White House should an offer to visit come. Trump’s comments drew wide derision from many in the NFL and NBA, including LeBron James and Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy.
Trump tweeted again about the NFL later on Saturday, stating essentially that players shouldn’t disrespect the flag by kneeling for the anthem if they are going to make so much money playing football.
If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
…our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU'RE FIRED. Find something else to do!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
“If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem,” Trump said in the tweets. “If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!”
There’s an alternate timeline somewhere in a dimension where Terry Pegula doesn’t exist and Donald Trump owns the Buffalo Bills. In this dimension, Trump’s comments merely come from a very active NFL owner’s Twitter account where he’s saying what owners are already doing to Colin Kaepernick.
