‘The View’ Co-Host Meghan McCain Again Criticizes NFL National Anthem Kneelers
Meghan McCain has doubled down on her verbal attacks made on The View regarding the NFL’s national anthem kneelers, saying via Twitter she “ardently” believes everyone should stand when the song is played.
McCain, daughter of U.S. senator and former Republican presidential candidate John McCain, defended herself Friday on Twitter after taking a battering on Thursday’s edition of the ABC talker. The kerfuffle came after she gave her view that players who kneel during the national anthem were wrong, with the protest leader, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, deemed “unpatriotic” by a national survey.
The NFL this week ruled that players who are on the field when the national anthem is played must stand at attention or the teams will be fined an unspecified amount. Those who don’t wish to stand respectfully can stay in the locker room, the league said.
The NFL season last year saw TV ratings decline, sponsors complain, and media attention focus on the players who sat, kneeled or raised fists in protest during the national anthem to complain about perceived injustices against black Americans.
“I never go on TV and do or say anything because it’s easy – I say it because it’s what I believe in,” McCain said in a tweet Friday. “I ardently believe in standing for our flag, and I am not scared of an audience in front of me or behind the camera. I would be scared if I were a phony, betraying my values.”
During The View discussion on the new NFL anthem policy, McCain said she would “never be OK” with disrespect toward the American flag.
“I disagree with everyone on this table,” she said. “I would never be okay with somebody not saluting the flag. By the way, 72 percent of Americans, according to Reuters, said that they thought Kaepernick’s behavior was unpatriotic.”
Co-host Sunny Hostin countered that many African-Americans called Kaepernick a patriot, and received applause from the studio audience.
I never go on tv and do or say anything because it’s easy – I say it because it’s what I believe in. I ardently believe in standing for our flag, and I am not scared of an audience in front of me or behind the camera. I would be scared if I were a phony, betraying my values.
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) May 25, 2018
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