Washington Redskins player Josh Norman reportedly said Sunday that President Trump “is not my president,” following Trump’s push for NFL owners to fire players who kneel during the national anthem.
“What president?” said Norman after his team’s game Sunday night, as reported by USA Today.
“Not my president. He was chosen, true. But when a president acts like that, what do you say to that? That’s not someone that stands with dignity, pride, respect, honor.”
{mosads}Norman’s remarks come after Trump in a Friday night rally suggested NFL owners fire players who kneel in protest during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“Wouldn’t 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,’ ” Trump said to the crowd at the Friday rally. ” ‘He is fired.’ ”
The comments led to an onslaught of criticism over the weekend from athletes and widespread protests at NFL games on Sunday.
“Where’s the honor in that? Where’s the dignity in that? Where is anything that’s prideful in doing what you did?” Norman said in his post-game comments.
“Words are powerful. They can either unite you, or they can divide you. So what he said united us.”
Trump doubled down on his Friday comments over the weekend, saying Sunday that “kneeling is not acceptable.”