While on tour promoting her book "What Happened," Hillary Clinton defended NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, arguing that they're neither protesting the anthem nor the flag and calling their display "reverent."
"That's what black athletes kneeling was all about," she said in response to a question about how to resist the Trump White House. "That's not against our anthem or our flag. Actually, kneeling is a reverent position. It was to demonstrate in a peaceful way against racism and injustice in our criminal system."
Former NFL star Colin Kaepernick sought to protest racial injustice in the United States last season, beginning by sitting on the bench for the national anthem. After speaking with former NFL player and Green Beret Nate Boyer, he decided to simultaneously protest and show respect by kneeling for the song instead.
"We sorta came to a middle ground where he would take a knee alongside his teammates," Boyer said after their meeting. "Soldiers take a knee in front of a fallen brother's grave, you know, to show respect. When we're on a patrol, you know, and we go into a security halt, we take a knee, and we pull security."
President Donald Trump recently began attacking players who kneel during the anthem, calling them "sons of (expletive)" and imploring team owners to fire players who participate in the protest.
Credit: Matthew Horwood
Credit: Matthew Horwood
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