Seems Trump has had a change of mind when it comes to blackballed NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has not played on a team since 2016. Kaepernick is famous for his silent anti-police brutality protests that began with him sitting during the national anthem, then evolved to kneeling before the start of games. Trump was outraged by the actions of Kaepernick and other players who joined him in kneeling. He declared then that NFL owners should fire any “son of a bitch” who knelt during the national anthem
Now, Trump says Kaepernick should be given another chance in the league.
“If he deserves it, he should. If he has the playing ability. He started off great, and then he didn’t end up very great … as a player,” Trump told WABC TV’s Scott Thuman, who tweeted part of the conversation, The New York Post reported.
”He was terrific in his rookie year and then I think he was very good in his second year and then I think something happened so his playing wasn’t up to snuff,” Trump continued, adding that he’d support Kaepernick’s bid for a job.
“The answer is, absolutely I would. As far as kneeling I would love to see him get another shot but obviously he has to be able to play well. If he can’t play well, I think it would be very unfair,” Trump added, obviously swayed by the continuing protests raging across the country — and the world –over police brutality and the police murder of George Floyd.
This is an about-face for Trump, who just last week suggested that he would boycott NFL games if players knelt during the anthem.
In fact, Trump slammed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after the commissioner said he was wrong to not listen to players’ concerns over racial issues in 2016.
“Could it be even remotely possible that in Roger Goodell’s rather interesting statement of peace and reconciliation, he was intimating that it would now be O.K. for the players to KNEEL, or not to stand, for the National Anthem, thereby disrespecting our Country & our Flag?” the commander-in-chief tweeted.
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 72: Jamarlin Martin Part 2. J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the FBI, may not be around but his energy is present in new Black politics.FBI agents and informants were used to weaken Marcus Garvey, the Nation of Islam and the Black Panthers — in many cases for money and career advancement. How could this energy metastasize into the “New Blacks” politics in 2020? Jamarlin goes solo to discuss who is doing the trading and what is being traded to weaken the aggregate Black political position.
Earlier this week, Trump said that he would not watch NFL games if players continued to protest. During a Fox News interview on June 17, he repeated that he remained opposed to kneeling during the anthem, The New York Times reported
“When the national anthem plays, and our flag — the great American flag — is raised, you should not be kneeling,” Trump said on “Hannity.” “You should be standing, ideally with your hand on your heart, or saluting, but they should not be kneeling.”
