President Donald Trump slammed the NFL’s rule changes that were implemented to reduce head injuries and called on team owners to fire players who kneel during the national anthem as an act of protest.
Speaking at a rally in Huntsville, Ala., Friday night to campaign for Sen. Luther Strange, Trump said that attendees of NFL games should walk out of the stadium if a player opts to kneel during the anthem. NFL players have been responding to Trump on Twitter.
The NFL has been mired in controversy since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began the kneeling to protest police brutality against black people. Several other athletes, including a number of NFL players, have followed suit. Kaepernick has not been signed to any NFL teams since his contract with the 49ers expired at the end of last season.
Read Trump’s remarks at Friday night’s rally below:
More Must-Reads from TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People in AI 2024
- Inside the Rise of Bitcoin-Powered Pools and Bathhouses
- How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
- What Makes a Friendship Last Forever?
- Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
- Your Questions About Early Voting , Answered
- Column: Your Cynicism Isn’t Helping Anybody
- The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024
Contact us at [email protected]