Vice President Mike Pence was formerly the governor of Indiana, so on Sunday he decided to return to Indianapolis and take in the Colts-49ers game. There takes a certain level of dedication to show up to a Colts-49ers game in the first place, considering both teams are a combined 1-7, but for Colts fans that showed up on Sunday they were greeted with heightened security with the VP in the building.
As we’ve seen throughout the entire season, the 49ers players participated in a protest during the national anthem. That act, something that’s happened all year and would come as no surprise to anyone that’s followed football, was enough to upset Pence and cause him to leave the game due to the “disrespect” he felt was being displayed.
I left today's Colts game because @POTUS and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem.
— Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) October 8, 2017
https://twitter.com/VP/status/917077619920818177
…now, more than ever, we should rally around our Flag and everything that unites us…
— Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) October 8, 2017
While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I don't think it's too much to ask NFL players to respect the Flag and our National Anthem
— Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) October 8, 2017
I stand with @POTUS Trump, I stand with our soldiers, and I will always stand for our Flag and our National Anthem. pic.twitter.com/B0zP5M41MQ
— Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) October 8, 2017
Donald Trump took to Twitter later in the day to take credit for Pence leaving after the protests.
I asked @VP Pence to leave stadium if any players kneeled, disrespecting our country. I am proud of him and @SecondLady Karen.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2017
As Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel noted, fans that attended Sunday’s game dealt with added security delays getting into the stadium because of Pence only for him to leave before the game even started.
Colts fans were put through additional security delays today. Because VP Mike Pence was here. For one series.
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) October 8, 2017
Doyel also said the protests were from San Francisco and not the Colts.
15-20 49ers knelt.
0 Colts. https://t.co/jCr3Mf2fBE
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) October 8, 2017
One has to think Pence knew protests during the anthem were possible and all of this was an opportunity to further the anti-NFL rhetoric that the Trump administration has been pushing ever since the president first spoke out against the protests and called for owners to fire players that kneel for the anthem. So, this was either a premeditated decision from Pence that he would leave if there were any protests, or he somehow genuinely thought the protests that had been going on all year would stop in Week 5.
