Former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) is urging all NFL players to kneel during the National Anthem Sunday to protest President Trump.
Edwards, who retired from Congress this year, issued the statement Saturday in response to Trump’s comments slamming NFL players who protest the National Anthem, calling the president a “white supremacist”:
“On Sunday, I hope every @NFL player takes a knee in solidarity w [Colin Kaepernick] against the white supremacist who squats in our White House,” Edwards tweeted, referencing the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who became famous for refusing to stand for the National Anthem before football games.
“For the record, I do stand for the flag. I stand because I respect our Constitution and value the freedom of speech of others not to do so,” she added.
Kneeling in protest of the National Anthem became a fad after Kaepernick took a knee during NFL games as a way to protest police brutality.
Trump called out those who refuse to stand for the National Anthem out of protest Friday night during a rally for Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Luther Strange in Alabama.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, say: ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He’s fired!’ They don’t know it,” Trump said as the crowd cheered.
Trump doubled down on his comments Sunday morning when he suggested that the players’ decision to protest the National Anthem would negatively affect football games, causing a drop in television ratings and attendance at games.
Dozens of players and coaches from the Baltimore Ravens and the Jacksonville Jaguars staged a massive protest while the National Anthem played at Wembley Stadium in London Sunday. The Jaguars’ owner even took part in the protests along with the players.