Trump Takes Shot At Colin Kaepernick Over National Anthem Protests
BOSTON (CBS) -- Quarterback Colin Kaepernick remains a free agent, but that isn't stopping people from criticizing him for his high-profile national anthem protests last season. Even President Donald Trump has taken shots at Kaepernick before - and he's done it again.
President Trump brought up Kaepernick at a rally in Louisville, Kentucky on Monday, doubling down on his criticism of the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback for his polarizing decision to sit or kneel during the national anthem throughout the 2016 season. The president was referencing an article from last Friday by Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman, which suggested that teams are unwilling to sign Kaepernick because they "fear the backlash" that would come with it. The story also suggested that teams are wary of President Trump tweeting about them.
President Trump credits his Twitter wrath for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's unemployment https://t.co/rib2ftiSJv pic.twitter.com/HzdtNmjhEb
— CNN (@CNN) March 21, 2017
"And you know, your San Francisco quarterback ... I'm sure nobody ever heard of him," Trump said at the rally. "I'm just reporting the news. There was an article today ... it was reported that NFL owners don't want to pick him up because they don't want to get a nasty tweet from Donald Trump. Do you believe that? I just saw that. I just saw that. I said, 'If I remember that one, I'm going to report it to the people of the Kentucky. Because they like it when people actually stand for the American flag.'"
Kaepernick recently stated that he plans to end his protest and stand during the national anthem next season. But for that to happen, he will need to sign with a new team first.