Trump Says NFL Players Sitting Out National Anthem Should Be "Fired"

SEATTLE, WA - President Donald Trump said at an Huntsville, Ala. rally that NFL owners should fire players who sit or kneel during the national anthem. The Seahawks' Michael Bennett is one of a number of NFL players who is protesting against racial injustice. Trump said, according to a CNN report, that NFL owners should respond to any player protesting with: "Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he's fired. He's fired!"

"For a week, (that owner would) be the most popular person in this country," Trump said, "because that's a total disrespect of our heritage. That's a total disrespect for everything we stand for."

Bennett recently coauthored a letter with three other NFL players asking NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for support on a number of social justice issues, including eliminating police violence against African Americans.

Last month, Bennett was held down and appeared to be handcuffed by a Las Vegas police officer who was responding to a shots fired call. While the Las Vegas police union has said the incident was not racially motivated, Bennett said he was targeted for "simply being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.

Trump also took time in his speech to clarify his position on the NFL enforcing penalties that prevent concussions: "They're ruining the game, right?" he said. "They're ruining the game."

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