Donald Trump blasts new NFL anthem policy as disrespectful after canceling on Eagles
Disinviting the Philadelphia Eagles from their planned visit to the White House with less than 24 hours notice was apparently not all President Donald Trump had on Monday’s NFL agenda.
He followed up the official White House press release informing the Eagles that they were not welcome by taking the new NFL anthem policy to task via his personal Twitter account.
The Philadelphia Eagles Football Team was invited to the White House. Unfortunately, only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event. Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2018
Apparently not satiated with the chaos of his last-minute cancelation, Trump sought yet another way to sow seeds of discontent amongst football-loving Americans.
The new NFL national anthem policy states that players and team personnel on the field during the national anthem must stand at attention. Players who choose to remain in the locker room are allowed to do so.
It was a response to the controversy over the last two seasons involving players protesting racial inequality and police brutality during the anthem by kneeling and the backlash from some fans and the President himself.
Trump, from a September political rally:
“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!’ You know, some owner is gonna do that. He’s gonna say, ‘That guy disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they don’t know it. They don’t know it. They’re friends of mine, many of them. 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.”
The new policy is something that his own Vice President Mike Pence celebrated, tweeting “#Winning” in response to the news. It’s a policy Trump is widely believed to have held sway over that would not exist without his influence.
But it’s not enough of a win for Trump. There’s always room for more turmoil.
In 2018, “winning” is planting the seeds of angst, anxiety, discord and fear throughout the United States and the world without abatement.
By that definition, Trump is the winningest president in U.S. history.
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