On Monday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump added his two cents to the backlash against San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest.
“I have followed it and I think it’s personally not a good thing,” Trump told The Dori Monson Show. “I think it’s a terrible thing, and you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him, let him try, it’s not gonna happen.”
In an interview, Kaepernick told reporters that he would be protesting throughout the season, saying, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” Many people who disagree with Kaepernick’s protest have failed to see or ignored the reason for the football player’s decision, instead condemning him for disrespecting those who have served.
WANT MORE FROM ESSENCE? Subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest in hair, beauty, style and celebrity news.
Still, some have sided with Kaepernick, including director Spike Lee, who equated the quarterback’s decision to sit during the national anthem to Muhammad Ali’s protest of the Vietnam War and Tommie Smith And John Carlos’ raised fists during the 1968 Olympics.
“For Whatever It’s Worth I Support My Brother,” Lee tweeted. “Of The Issues He Raised None Are LIES. Colin Is Demonstrating The Same Courage Of Smith, Carlos And Ali. YA-DIG? SHO-NUFF.”