Now Trump twists the knife with NFL, saying he is ‘so proud of NASCAR’ for warning drivers not to join anthem protest
President Donald Trump tweeted that he is ‘so proud of NASCAR and its supporters and fans’
He said they ‘won’t put up with disrespecting our Country or our Flag’
He sent out the tweet Monday morning after NFL players kneeled and linked arms, defying his hits call for firing players who don’t stand for the National Anthem
NASCAR’s TV audience was 94 per cent white, according to a 2014 analysis
Trump was appearing on Alabama’s ‘Rick and Bubba Show’ on Monday
Trump gave an impromptu press briefing while boarding Air Force One to head back to Washington Sunday
He said his criticism of NFL has ‘nothing to do with race’ and that it is about ‘respect for our country’
At least 200 players across the country either knelt or sat during the anthem in protest
By Geoff Earle, Deputy U.S. Political Editor
DailyMail.com
25 September 2017
President Donald Trump stoked his dispute with the National Football League over the National Anthem, tweeting Monday that he is ‘so proud of NASCAR’ and that the controversy had ‘nothing to do with race.’
Trump issued the provocative tweet after his dispute with professional athletes led news and sports coverage over the weekend, after he called for NFL players who refuse to stand for the National Anthem to get suspended or fired.
‘So proud of NASCAR and its supporters and fans. They won’t put up with disrespecting our Country or our Flag – they said it loud and clear!’ Trump tweeted.
Then he tweeted: ‘Many people booed the players who kneeled yesterday (which was a small percentage of total). These are fans who demand respect for our Flag!’
The president followed up: ‘The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!’
Trump fueled the controversy after more than 200 players defied his criticism by kneeling or linking arms during nationally televised games on Sunday.
Trump also brushed off criticism that race was involved in his attacks. He told reporters as he boarded Air Force One Sunday night: ”I never said anything about race.’ He added: ”This has nothing to do with race or anything else. This has to do with respect for our country and respect for our flag.’
The players he targeted, San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick and Golden State Warriors basketball star Stephen Curry, are black.
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