New season, same Trump: The president again blasts NFL players for protests during national anthem

President Trump was quick to respond to the first player protests of the new football season, tweeting Friday morning that “the NFL players are at it again” after a few teams’ members knelt or performed other symbolic acts during the national anthem before preseason games Thursday night.

By his two tweets, the president signaled that for a third straight season, he would stoke the divisive issue he first fanned as a candidate just before the 2016 election. Yet again, Trump ignored both the complaints of racial injustice and police brutality that many African American players have sought to highlight by kneeling during the pre-game anthem, and their free-speech rights.

The president often has falsely suggested the players are protesting against the anthem, the American flag and the U.S. military. In his latest attack, however, he portrayed them as ungrateful for the opportunity to play in the NFL. In doing so, he exaggerated their overall share of league proceeds.

“The NFL players are at it again — taking a knee when they should be standing proudly for the National Anthem,” Trump tweeted. “Numerous players, from different teams, wanted to show their ‘outrage’ at something that most of them are unable to define. They make a fortune doing what they love......”

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-nfl-20180810-story.html