Fans Should Boycott NFL Games Over National Anthem Protests, Trump Says

President Donald Trump went after players protesting in the National Football League during his speech Friday in Alabama to campaign for Sen. Luther Strange.

While Trump took the stage in Huntsville to ostensibly rally support for Strange in his upcoming Republican primary, his speech veered away from politics to attack NFL players who protest during the national anthem.

Last year, then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was booed for taking a knee during the national anthem while his team played the San Diego Chargers. Kaepernick said the silent protest was meant to bring awareness to injustices against minorities in the United States. It has been a source of controversy ever since.

Kaepernick remains a free agent, and many believe that his inability to land with a new team is due to his political stance. But inspired by his example, many other NFL players have replicated his actions.

But Trump blasted that form of protest during his speech. Thats a total disrespect of our heritage, the president told the crowd. Thats a total disrespect of everything we stand for.

Trump told the audience that anyone attending NFL games should leave if they see a player protesting during the anthem and that players should be fired for the action.

Wouldnt 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, hes fired? Trump said.

The majority of players protesting during games have been players of color, using their platforms in an attempt to highlight racial injustice and police brutality.

Trump wishes NFL owners would tell anthem protesters \"get that son of a bitch off the field right now\" pic.twitter.com/gq4EH3lNoY

Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 23, 2017","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Washington Examiner","author_url":"https://twitter.com/dcexaminer","cache_age":86400,"description":"Trump wishes NFL owners would tell anthem protesters "get that son of a bitch off the field right now" pic.twitter.com/gq4EH3lNoY— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 23, 2017\n","provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":338,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/911391730997633024/pu/img/FJ009mTKusd-7tIN.jpg","thumbnail_width":600,"title":"Washington Examiner on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/911391761070731264","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"59c5b050e4b01cc57ff251fe","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/trump-kaepernick-alabama-rally_n_59c5b050e4b01cc57ff251fe","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,republican-politics,hate-speech,nfl,football,colin-kaepernick,@health_erectile,@health_ibs,@health_models","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"black-voices,sports","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/d3d4aa00-ff82-4c5c-ba15-1a29cd8f0a0a/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":9},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"59c5b050e4b01cc57ff251fe","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"relegenceId":2789214,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"Republican Politics","slug":"republican-politics","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/republican-politics","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/republican-politics","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/republican-politics"},"relegenceSubjectId":4944927,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Republican Party","slug":"republican-party","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/republican-party"},{"name":"hate speech","slug":"hate-speech","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/hate-speech","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/hate-speech","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/hate-speech"},"relegenceSubjectId":6412702,"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"topic":{"title":"Social Justice","slug":"social-justice","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/social-justice"},{"name":"NFL","slug":"nfl","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/nfl","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/nfl","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/nfl"},"relegenceId":3690621,"section":{"title":"Sports","slug":"sports"},"topic":{"title":"NFL","slug":"nfl","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/topic/nfl"},{"name":"Football","slug":"football","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/football","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/football","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/football"},"relegenceSubjectId":979758,"section":{"title":"Sports","slug":"sports"},"topic":{"title":"Football","slug":"football","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/topic/football"},{"name":"Colin Kaepernick","slug":"colin-kaepernick","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/colin-kaepernick","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/colin-kaepernick","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/colin-kaepernick"},"relegenceId":3033763,"section":{"title":"Sports","slug":"sports"},"topic":{"title":"Colin Kaepernick","slug":"colin-kaepernick","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/topic/colin-kaepernick"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

Trump wishes NFL owners would tell anthem protesters "get that son of a bitch off the field right now" pic.twitter.com/gq4EH3lNoY
Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 23, 2017

This isnt the first time Trump has taken shots at Kaepernick. Trump has tweeted a few times about the athlete and even took credit for Kaepernicks inability to get a job in the league after his protests.

Nonetheless, Kaepernicks message appears to have resonated elsewhere in sports.

Earlier this year, several New England Patriots players refused to attend the White House , a traditional visit for teams who win sports championships. Some of the players who stayed away said that Trump displayed racist rhetoric throughout his campaign and that they wouldnt feel accepted in the White House.

And in professional basketball, not long before the Alabama rally, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry announced that he wouldnt attend the teams own visit to the White House, USA Today reported.

(Athletes are) all trying to do what we can, Curry said. Were using our platforms, using our opportunities to shed light on that, so thats kind of where I stand on it. I dont think us not going to the White House is going to miraculously make everything better, but this is my opportunity to voice that.

Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., took to Twitter on Friday night to denounce Trumps speech.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

A nation is people, not a symbol, King wrote. A protest for the eradication of racism that violates millions of those people is not disrespect.

After a huge backlash, Trump didnt back away from his Friday comments and reiterated them in two tweets Saturday , saying that the NFL should fire players who protest .