Trump's Attempt At Using Usain Bolt To Slam NFL Players Spectacularly Backfires
President Donald Trump tried to use Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt to criticize National Football League players who protest during the national anthem on Tuesday night.
But it didn’t go down well.
Trump tweeted this five-year-old video of the now retired track star cutting away from a live television interview during the London 2012 Summer Olympics so that he could stand for the U.S. national anthem.
Even Usain Bolt from Jamaica, one of the greatest runners and athletes of all time, showed RESPECT for our National Anthem! 🇺🇸🇯🇲 pic.twitter.com/zkenuAP9RS
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2017
“Even Usain Bolt from Jamaica, one of the greatest runners and athletes of all time, showed RESPECT for our National Anthem,” wrote Trump.
The president outraged many at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama, on Friday with his thinly veiled attack on former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players who have taken a knee in protest against police brutality and racial injustice during the national anthem before games.
Bolt himself has yet to comment on Trump’s tweet.
But Team Jamaica, a forum for the Caribbean island’s Olympic sports’ enthusiasts, immediately came to the runner’s defense and admonished the president to leave him “out of your politricks.”
Please leave The Boss out of your politricks. https://t.co/jMi4r4ajEL
— Team Jamaica (@JamaicaOlympics) September 27, 2017
The sentiment was echoed by hundreds of other tweeters, whose comments are sampled below:
oh my god it’s like arguing with your racist grandpa https://t.co/y2nnFjpaWB
— Bryson Masse (@Bryson_M) September 27, 2017
Trump translator: "Even this black guy stands for the anthem. All other blacks should too."
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) September 27, 2017
For the love of God stop talking and don't bring my country and countryman in this whole debacle pic.twitter.com/HkAl1az3HP
— El Jefe 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲 (@OriginalYrdiii) September 27, 2017
Let me just speak for all Jamaicans on this one: Please keep Jamaica and our national heroes out of your racist tweets. 🇯🇲
— Robert Murray (@robertmurray) September 27, 2017
wondering when his tweets about players kneeling to PROTEST AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY will end pic.twitter.com/1tlfEjhcwI
— rae (@raeannelynn) September 27, 2017
I think it's safe to say that you are digging at the depths of this argument. I think you already lost and you know it
— IR.net (@IRdotnet) September 27, 2017
Trump disrespects the flag by not valuing diversity.
— Dani Bostick (@danibostick) September 27, 2017
Dear Mr. Dotard please hire someone to explain to you that the song/flag is not the target of the protest.
— You Don't Know Me (@Riggs2136) September 27, 2017
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
