Bannon: NFL players should take a knee and ‘thank God’ Trump is president

Former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon said Monday night that professional football players who want to take a knee during the national anthem should instead do so at night and “thank God” that President Trump is commander in chief.

“If people in this country take a knee and the national football players want to take a knee, they should take a knee at night, every night, and thank God in heaven Donald J. Trump is president of the United States,” Bannon told Fox News.

{mosads}“He has saved this country so much grief. He has done such a tremendous job with virtually no help.”

Bannon’s remarks come amid fallout from Trump’s suggestion that NFL owners fire players who choose to kneel during the national anthem.

“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. He is fired,’ ” Trump said Friday at a rally in Alabama.

Trump doubled down on those comments over the weekend, sparking protests at football games across the country on Sunday and widespread condemnation from athletes.

Bannon on Monday also called on the “Republican establishment” to have Trump’s back.

“Mitch McConnell wouldn’t be majority leader if Donald Trump didn’t drag half a dozen senators across the goal line in November,” Bannon said.