Days later, Donald Trump is still tweeting about the NFL
President Donald Trump began Tuesday in a fashion similar to how he spent parts of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday: by tweeting about the NFL and player protests during the national anthem.
“Ratings for NFL football are way down except before game starts, when people tune in to see whether or not our country will be disrespected!” Trump wrote. He then commented on the Dallas Cowboys, who knelt as a team on Monday Night Football (including owner Jerry Jones) before standing as a group when the national anthem began in earnest.
“The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was loudest I have ever heard. Great anger,” Trump wrote, adding in another tweet, “But while Dallas dropped to its knees as a team, they all stood up for our National Anthem. Big progress being made-we all love our country!”
Ratings for NFL football are way down except before game starts, when people tune in to see whether or not our country will be disrespected!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was loudest I have ever heard. Great anger
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
But while Dallas dropped to its knees as a team, they all stood up for our National Anthem. Big progress being made-we all love our country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
Trump’s war with the NFL and players who protest racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem began on Friday in Alabama. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He’s fired. He’s fired!'” Trump said. “You know, some owner is going to do that. He’s going to say, ‘That guy that disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they don’t know it. They don’t know it. They’ll be the most popular person, for a week. They’ll be the most popular person in this country.”
No owner has listened to Trump’s rant thus far. Instead, the NFL has widely condemned Trump, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a friend of Trump’s who gave the president a Super Bowl ring after the Patriots’ latest championship.
Speaking Sunday, Trump said Kraft “has to take his ideas and go with what he wants.” The president added, “I think it’s very disrespectful to our country [to protest during the national anthem]. I think it’s very, very disrespectful to our flag. I like Bob very much, we’re friends. He gave me a Super Bowl ring a month ago, right? So he’s a good friend of mine, and I want him to do what he wants to do, but we have a great country, we have great people representing our country, especially our soldiers, our first responders, and they should be treated with respect, and when you get on your knee and you don’t respect the American flag or the anthem, that’s not being treated with respect.”
Following Trump’s Friday night attack, the president tweeted about the NFL throughout the weekend. The president made no mention of the reason for the protests and even claimed that players locking arms on the sidelines — a move done to protest Trump himself — was to promote solidarity for his message. Trump also claimed his attacks on the protests had nothing to do with race.
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
Roger Goodell of NFL just put out a statement trying to justify the total disrespect certain players show to our country.Tell them to stand!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017
...NFL attendance and ratings are WAY DOWN. Boring games yes, but many stay away because they love our country. League should back U.S.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017
Great solidarity for our National Anthem and for our Country. Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable. Bad ratings!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017
Courageous Patriots have fought and died for our great American Flag --- we MUST honor and respect it! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017
Sports fans should never condone players that do not stand proud for their National Anthem or their Country. NFL should change policy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017
Many people booed the players who kneeled yesterday (which was a small percentage of total). These are fans who demand respect for our Flag!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2017
The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2017
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2017
.@CNN is #FakeNews. Just reported COS (John Kelly) was opposed to my stance on NFL players disrespecting FLAG, ANTHEM, COUNTRY. Total lie!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2017
General John Kelly totally agrees w/ my stance on NFL players and the fact that they should not be disrespecting our FLAG or GREAT COUNTRY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2017
Tremendous backlash against the NFL and its players for disrespect of our Country.#StandForOurAnthem????????
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2017