A member of the Detroit Lions shot back at President Trump for wading into the debate over NFL players kneeling during the national anthem during a rally in Alabama on Friday night.
“Does anyone tell Trump to stick to politics, like they tell us to stick to sports? Smh,” Lions tight end Eric Ebron tweeted Saturday, using an acronym for “shaking my head.”
Former NFL running back Reggie Bush responded to Ebron, saying Trump “[isn’t] even good at [politics].”
Trump told a crowd at a rally for Alabama candidate Sen. Luther Strange (R) on Friday night that NFL players would stop kneeling if people left games over it.
{mosads}”When people like yourselves turn on television and you see those people taking the knee when they are playing our great national anthem – the only thing you could do better is if you see it, even if it’s one player, leave the stadium,” Trump said. “I guarantee things will stop.”
Trump also said NFL owners should fire players if they refuse to stand during the national anthem.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. He is fired,’ ” he continued.
Trump has previously attacked NFL player Colin Kaepernick for kneeling during the national anthem to protest the treatment of people of color in America, and suggested Kaepernick is still unsigned because he wouldn’t stand for the anthem.