Donald Trump Whips Up Base Blasting Nike Ad Featuring Colin Kaepernick
President Donald Trump played into Nike’s hand this morning, trashing the company for featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in its latest “Just Do It” ad campaign.
“Just like the NFL, whose ratings have done WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!”
Trump followers already had posted video of themselves burning their Nike shoes and cutting Nike logos out of their socks to protest the Kaepernick ad, in which his face is seen behind the words, “Believe in something even if it means sacrificing everything.”
The quarterback initiated the “knee-taking” movement when he knelt during the National Anthem to protest recent instances
of police mistreatment of African-Americans in the country. Other players followed suit and Trump latched on to Kaepernick, at a rally, telling his receptive base that team owners should fire those “sons of bitches.
NFL on Tuesday came out in support of Nike’s campaign, saying in a statement:
“The National Football League believes in dialogue, understanding and unity. We embrace the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities…The social justice issues that Colin and other professional athletes have raised deserve our attention and action.”
Kaepernick, however, insists NFL is talking out of both sides of its mouth and has sued the NFL, accusing team owners of colluding to bar him from getting another contract.
Trump’s tweet
Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018
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