Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Trump Rails Against Athletes Refusing to Stand for US National Anthem

by Ken Bredemeier

   U.S. President Donald Trump is waging a war of words this weekend over
   U.S. professional athletes who refuse to stand before games for the
   playing of the country's national anthem, saying they should be fired
   and suggesting that fans should boycott the games in protest of the
   players.

   For several days in a row, Trump has railed against the athletes, most
   of them black players in the National Football League, who have refused
   to stand for the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, a tradition at
   most U.S. sporting events at both the amateur and professional levels.

   The players have waged the protests for what they see as disparities in
   the treatment of minorities in the country and Trump's own divisive
   comments about U.S. race relations, especially after he equated
   neo-Nazi demonstrators with counter-protesters after a rally last month
   in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one woman dead.

   In the first game of the day Sunday, between the Jacksonville Jaguars
   and the Baltimore Ravens that was played in London, Jaguars players
   linked arms during the national anthem, with some of them kneeling and
   some standing. They were joined in the line by Jaguars owner Shad Khan,
   who donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration earlier this year. Some
   Ravens players stood, while others knelt and they also linked their
   arms together.

   On Sunday, during the third weekend of the season for the NFL, Trump
   said in a series of Twitter comments, "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! NFL attendance and ratings are
   WAY DOWN. Boring games yes, but many stay away because they love our
   country. League should back U.S."

   His comments about NFL players came a day after he disinvited one of
   the world's top basketball players, Stephen Curry of the Golden State
   Warriors, from visiting the White House to celebrate their National
   Basketball Association championship after the star player said he was
   wavering whether to go in protest of Trump's comments on the treatment
   of minorities.

   Curry said he did not want to visit the White House because "we don't
   stand for basically what our president has -- the things that he's said
   and the things that he hasn't said in the right times, that we won't
   stand for it." A short time later, another star NBA player, LeBron
   James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, supported his friend Curry, calling
   Trump a "bum," and adding, "Going to White House was a great honor
   until you showed up!"

   Trump kicked off his protests against players kneeling or sitting
   during the playing of the national anthem at a political rally in
   Alabama on Friday night.

   "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. "Wouldn't you
   love it? Some owner's going to do that. He's going to say, 'That guy
   who disrespects our flag, he's fired.' And that owner, they don't know
   it - they're friends of mine, many of them - they'll be the most
   popular person for a week in this country."

   On Saturday, he tweeted, "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 our Great American Flag (or Country) and
   should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU'RE FIRED. Find
   something else to do!"

   One of the best known of the NFL owners, Robert Kraft of the champion
   New England Patriots, who also donated $1 million for Trump's
   inauguration and has visited the White House, responded to the
   president's latest comments on Sunday, but in support of the players,
   not Trump.

   "I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the
   president," Kraft said. "I am proud to be associated with so many
   players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting
   our communities. Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care
   deeply about our community and I support their right to peacefully
   affect social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is
   most impactful."

   One of the league's top coaches, Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks,
   also voiced support for the players, saying, "As a team, we are united
   in a mission to bring people together to help create positive change.
   We can no longer remain silent. I will stand with our players."

   NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also protested Trump's complaints,
   saying, "Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack
   of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a
   failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and
   players represent in our communities."

   One Republican lawmaker, Senator Ben Sasse, a Trump supporter, told the
   players they had the right to protest the president, but asked, "Aren't
   there better ways than kneeling before the flag soldiers died to
   defend?" He added that "Trump wants you to kneel--because it divides
   the nation, with him and the flag on the same side. Don't give him the
   attention he wants."