Donald Trump Accuses NFL Of “Disrespecting Our Country & Our Flag” Over League’s Condemnation Of Racism & Injustice – Update

Click here to read the full article.

UPDATE, 11:50 PM: In classic Sunday Night Football tradition, it took Donald Trump a couple of days and a weekend full of tweets to finally turn his wrath on the NFL for admitting they “were wrong” not to support players like Colin Kaepernick in the battle against racial injustice.

Yet, as Trump sensed a re-election theme he could ride to success in November, there was never a doubt the Roger Goodell-led league was going to get tackled by the Tweeter-in-Chief.

More from Deadline

• Drew Brees Kicks Back Hard At Donald Trump; NFL QB Says 'We Are At A Critical Juncture In Our Nation’s History' After George Floyd Death & Protests - Update

• Return Of Production, Sports, Advertising, Theme Parks All Reasons To Buy Media Stocks Now --Analyst

• Drew Brees Apologizes After Backlash Over "Disrespecting The Flag" Comments

And that’s exactly what happened tonight:

Having rallied against players taking a knee the past few years and reveling in the NFL’s flip-flopping perspective, Trump’s tweet comes two days after Goodell released his apparently contrite video on social media as protests and uproar continued over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis cops.

Coming on the same day that Trump got in a dust-up with a now apologizing New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees over the flag and protest, the June 5 video itself was in response to the Stronger Together video from several top pro-football players the day before. Featuring Odell Beckham Jr., Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and may more, the video requested that the league condemn racism and support its black players.

PREVIOUSLY, JUNE 5 PM: National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted Friday that the league should have listened more closely in the past to players who complained about racism.

Goodell issued an Instagram video today (see below) on behalf of the NFL after several star players issued their own video, Stronger Together, on Thursday, asking for the league to condemn racism and support its black players.

The league responded a day later.

“We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest,” Goodell said. “It has been a difficult time for our country. In particular, black people in our country. First, my condolences to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all the families who have endured police brutality.”

The video caption stated, “We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People. We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter. #InspireChange”

The video by NFL stars featured Davante Adams, Jamal Adams, Saquon Barkley, Anthony Barr, Odell Beckham Jr., Ezekiel Elliott, Stephon Gilmore, DeAndre Hopkins, Eric Kendricks, Jarvis Landry, Marshon Lattimore, Patrick Mahomes, Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson, Sterling Shepard, Michael Thomas, Deshaun Watson and Chase Young.

In their video, the players spoke in unison, saying: “So on behalf of the National Football League, this is what we the players would like to hear you state. We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systemic oppression of black people. We, the National Football League, admit wrong in silencing our players from peacefully protesting. We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter.”

The NFL has been embroiled in a controversy over racial and social justice since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the National Anthem in 2016. Kaepernick said he was doing it to protest against racism and police brutality.

He was soon followed by several teammates, and the protest spread throughout the league, with players opting to kneel, raise a fist, link arms or stay in the locker room while the anthem was played. Some fans reacted angrily, sponsors pulled ads, and the league’s television ratings went down, with the NFL eventually declining to include the anthem in its broadcasts.

Kaepernick bore the brunt of the backlash. He became a free agent following the 2016 season by opting out of his contract’s final year. However, no team signed him, and Kaepernick eventually sued over collusion to keep him out of the league. He reached a settled in 2019.

The players video is below.

Best of Deadline

• Coronavirus: U.S. Death Toll Passes 105,000 As Global Cases Top 6 Million - Update

• Coronavirus: Movies That Have Halted Or Delayed Production Amid Outbreak

• Hong Kong Filmart Postponed Due To Coronavirus Fears; Event Moves Two Weeks Before Toronto

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.