Trump's Paeans to 'Old Glory' Might Not Work as Well as They Used to
Donald Trump likes nothing more than to throw rhetorical red meat to his base, and early in his presidency he found one theme that seemed like a winner: Bashing NFL players for their kneeling protests during the national anthem. After he called protesting players "son[s] of bitch[es]" at a 2017 rally, the president noted to aides that it had earned the night's loudest applause.
So it's not surprising that, with the country engaging in another great reckoning over racism, Trump would decide to beat this well-worn drum again. After New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees apologized Friday for saying that protesting players were "disrespecting the flag," Trump responded via Twitter.
"I am a big fan of Drew Brees," wrote Trump. "I think he’s truly one of the greatest quarterbacks, but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag. OLD GLORY is to be revered, cherished, and flown high."
The quarterback then took to Instagram with a post captioned "To President Trump," in which he stood by his initial apology. "Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been," he wrote. "We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities."
Brees wasn't alone—on Friday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell admitted that the league bungled its handling of player protests. "We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all players to speak out and peacefully protest," he said in a video posted to social media. "We, the National Football League, believe that black lives matter."
The statement did not include an apology (nor did it mention protest leader Colin Kaepernick by name), but the admission is still a striking illustration of the degree to which George Floyd's killing and the protests it sparked have changed discussions around the Black Lives Matter movement. Trump can retreat to his favored canard that protestors are disrespecting the flag, but it may not be as effective as it once was.
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