Trump slams NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick during a rally in Kentucky
President Trump often says he wants to create jobs for Americans, but he appears to be reveling in the unemployed state of one U.S. citizen — Colin Kaepernick.
Speaking at a rally in Kentucky on Monday, Trump brought up Kaepernick, who has yet to find another NFL job since opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers this month.
“There was an article today that was reported that NFL owners don’t want to pick [Kaepernick] up because they don’t want to get a nasty tweet from Donald Trump,” Trump said to the cheering crowd. “You believe that? I just saw that. I said, ‘If I remember that one, I’m gonna report it to the people of Kentucky because they like it when people actually stand for the American flag.’ Right?”
Trump may have been referring to a recent Bleacher Report article in which an AFC general manager stated several possible reasons why Kaepernick, a 29-year-old quarterback who played in the Super Bowl four years ago, still hasn’t landed a job.
One of those reasons was “some teams fear the backlash from fans after getting him. They think there might be protests or Trump will tweet about the team.”
Kaepernick drew a lot of attention last season for refusing to stand during the national anthem before 49ers games. He has decided not to continue doing so next season, according to multiple media reports.
While explaining his protest to reporters last year, Kaepernick called then-candidate Trump “openly racist.”
Trump said of Kaepernick’s protest at the time: “I think it’s personally not a good thing. I think it’s a terrible thing. And, you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him. Let him try. It won’t happen.”
Kaepernick responded through the media: “It’s a very ignorant statement that if you don’t agree with what’s going on here, if you want justice, liberty and freedom for all, then you should leave the country. He always says, ‘Make America Great Again.’ Well, it’s never been great for people of color.
“That’s something that needs to be addressed. Let’s make America great for the first time.”
Twitter: @chewkiii
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