Trump: If NFL had suspended Kaepernick we wouldn't have 'a problem'

[highplainsdem]

Source: The Hill

President Trump said in an interview scheduled to air Wednesday night that the current controversy over protests in the NFL would not be “a problem” had the NFL originally suspended Colin Kaepernick for kneeling during the national anthem.

“I watched Colin Kaepernick and I thought it was terrible. And then it got bigger and bigger and started mushrooming. And frankly the NFL should have suspended him for one game and he would have never done it again,” Trump told Fox News’ “Hannity.”

“They could have then suspended him for two games and they could have suspended him again if he did it a third time, for the season, and you would never have had a problem," he said. "But I will tell you - you cannot disrespect our country, our flag, our anthem, you cannot do that.”

The comments from the president are his latest response to a controversy that has stretched over several weeks since Trump first suggested NFL owners fire players who choose to kneel, rather than stand, during the national anthem.

-snip-

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/355041-trump-if-nfl-had-suspended-kaepernick-we-wouldnt-have-a-problem

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Sig Heil all the way!

He's consistent, you've got to give him that

[Sneederbunk]

2. Always good to hear from a failed USFL owner.

[forgotmylogin]

34. Our fucking pResident is using his power to micromanage sports teams.

[democratisphere]

3. I wish the hell this OCD racist would STFU !

Damn it gets so old !

[Podkayne K]

4. and if A*hole Comey...

hadn't been head of the FBI, we wouldn't have a MORON teething in the White House.

[rurallib]

13. Repeating: If the Fucking Moron wasn't the illegal president

we wouldn't have this problem.

That needs to be shouted from the tallest buildings.

[ffr]

5. This is getting worse and we're fueling it

YES!

[unblock]

6. kneeling is not a sign of disrespect. never has been.

kneeling before royalty shows no disrespect.
kneeling while praying shows no disrespect.
kneeling when proposing shows no disrespect.

if anything, it conveys the opposite

right-wing snowflakes are simply lying to claim to be offended.
they're offended because a black person is complaining about black people getting killed for no good reason.

not because he's kneeling, but because he's pointing out something they want to sweep under the carpet.

[Angry Dragon]

8. Nice words!!

[They_Live]

19. I was thinking about that also

kneeling shows reverence.

[madokie]

29. Thats it 100%

We must not give in

[Angry Dragon]

7. Play it on the hour at the White House if it is so damn important

[truthisfreedom]

9. Twitler is lying again. I saw his mouth move.

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. You're sure it was his mouth?

[Rollo]

37. Well, it was one of his sphincter like orifices... n/t

.

[MontanaMama]

11. Fuck him and his whole evil army.

I am SO angry tonight. This shit has to stop. Somebody had to start the 25th amendment thing. Why does NOBODY in a prominent position stand up to this MORON? WHY? He can't do anything, he is impotent if people stand up to him.

In other news, I just heard a general on Chris Hayes (didn't get his name, I'm cooking dinner) state that Dotard has a "screw loose". OMG! I am thinking it would be irresponsible to NOT have a talk with my middle schooler about having a family emergency plan in place in case he does the unthinkable.

[DK504]

12. I watched Colin Kaepernick and I thought it was terrible."

When the hell did this Moron think this started, last week?

[YOHABLO]

14. We are bound together by a Constitution.. Let's remember the 1st amendment.

And yes it gives us the right to demonstratively express ourselves.

[Xipe Totec]

22. While we're at it, remember the 25th nt

[madville]

42. And the owners/teams/NFL have the right to discipline or terminate players' employment

within the terms of their agreed upon collective bargaining agreement. The 1st Amendment of the Constitution has no weight in a private employee/employer relationship just like any other private job, people get legally (and many times rightfully) fired or disciplined at work for things like social media posts all the time, it's not a 1st Amendment issue.

[raccoon]

15. If More people had voted against DT instead of voting third-party

If More people had voted against DT instead of voting third-party or staying home, we wouldn't have a problem.

[mpcamb]

16. Take the Moron's phone away and "we wouldn't have 'a problem' "

[jalan48]

17. Northern California is burning up and the moron is talking about football?

[yuiyoshida]

18. He doesn't give a fuck about CALIFORNIA

REMEMBER, this is Donald's world, we are just burning in it.

[ffr]

20. Had 78,000 people voted for HRC, we wouldn't be talking about you, now would we?

Be ready for impeachment or worse, Dotard!

[Xipe Totec]

21. If an imbecile hadn't been elected POTUS, we wouldn't have a problem either. nt

[world wide wally]

23. If Congress did their job and "suspended" trump, we wouldn't have this problem

[onenote]

24. It's not up to congress

The VP and either a majority on the cabinet or the majority of a body convened for the purpose of determining whether the president is able to discharge the duties and obligations of the office must concur

[Best_man23]

25. If all the AA players in the NFL decided to boycott the game for a few weeks

The NFL would not have enough front line and reserve players to air more than 3 or 4 games.

African American players threatened to boycott the 1965 AFL All Star game because of how the host city (New Orleans) treated them. The AFL moved the All Star game to Houston as a result. Boycotts work. I could see current players deciding to not play for teams and owners who appear to be sucking up to Cheetolini.

[Lotusflower70]

26. Fuck that guy

I hope he enjoyed the $3.76 He got from his lawsuit against the NFL. What a dumbass.

[DBoon]

27. If congress would impeach and convict Trump, we wouldn't have a bigger problem

We would eliminate much bigger problem than a few football players kneeling before the US flag

[BeyondGeography]

28. President Shit For Brains strikes (yet) again

This issue is a winnah, I tell you. A win-nah.

[sharedvalues]

30. Don't repeat his words

Tell the Hill.
https://georgelakoff.com/2016/12/15/how-to-help-trump/

"When you repeat Trump, you help Trump. You do this by spreading his message wide and far.

Nobody knows this better than Trump. Trump, as a media master, knows how to frame a debate. When he picks a fight, he does so deliberately. He tweets or says outrageous things, knowing they will be repeated millions and millions of times. When the news media and Democrats repeat Trump’s frames, they are strengthening those frames by ensuring that tens of millions of Americans hear them repeated over and over again.

Better headline and post title:
"Trump tries to distract from racism, Puerto Rico disaster, Russia - with more old NFL crap."

[GusBob]

33. I, for one, am sick and tired of his goddamned lies

He has captured the attention economy.

[sharedvalues]

38. Yes! If we ignore his words he will stop.

Attention economy is exactly right.

News outlets will have to figure out a way to deal with efforts to deflect attention away from what is important.

[bullwinkle428]

31. "IF THAT BOY KNEW HIS PLACE...", stated President Bull Connor.

[GusBob]

32. Kapernick was no longer on a team, only 6 players knelt before DT opened his mouth

He made it a problem and he did it on purpose to divide the country

Evertytime this asshole speaks, Putin laughs

[sharedvalues]

39. Putin pays him, so yes

[BHDem53]

35. We'll have a problem

until the dotard is ousted from office.

[Rollo]

36. If Congress would impeach and convict Trump, this nation's biggest problem would disappear... n/t

.

[Smickey]

40. If the owners or the NFL...

take action against the first amendment rights of the players, President Obama should be their lawyer and if necessary take it to the Supreme Court. He was a constitutional law professor at Harvard right?

[madville]

41. As a Constitutional law professor he would know this isn't a 1st Amendment issue

The government is not restricting their speech. Just like when politicians "talk" about restricting gun rights, it's not actually violating the 2nd Amendment because it's just talk.

Their employer, the team/NFL, has the right to discipline the players or terminate their employment within the terms of their collective bargaining agreement. The 1st Amendment does not protect speech within a private employee/employer relationship.

[Initech]

43. Fox News is the one that kept this bullshit going.

And of course we have a president who watches way too much Fox News for his own good. Combine the two things, and well...

[Vinca]

44. If voters had done due diligence last November, we wouldn't have "a problem."