After Donald Trump lit a fire under the sports world on Friday by using vulgar language to describe NFL players, one Democrat is calling on all athletes in the league to kneel during the anthem.
In a stinging tweet, former Democratic Rep. Donna Edwards she hopes “every NFL player” will take the opportunity to stand up to “the white supremacist who squats in our White House.”
On Sunday, I hope every @NFL player takes a knee in solidarity w @Kaepernick7 against the white supremacist who squats in our White House.
— Donna Edwards (@DonnaFEdwards) September 23, 2017
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The backlash came after Trump urged NFL owners – the same folks who gave millions to his inaugural fund – to “get that son of a b**** off the field” when one if their players knees down during the National Anthem.
Of course, Edwards was not alone in her outrage over Trump’s vulgar outburst at Friday night’s campaign rally in deeply red Alabama.
Both the political world and the NFL were swift and forceful in condemning Trump’s rhetoric, with the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell calling the president’s comments “divisive” and “unfortunate.”
After the disturbing white supremacist violence in Charlottesville this summer, and the president’s sickening response, Trump was already in hot water over his poor handling of racial issues in America and his constant flirtation with some of the most extremist hate groups.
His inappropriate comments on Friday targeting mainly African American athletes who are speaking out against racial injustice in America only made things worse, and Trump’s behavior will likely encourage more athletes to do the same.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
