Black lawmaker kneels on House floor in solidarity with athletes

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) knelt on the House floor Monday night to show solidarity with NFL players defying President Trump to protest police brutality.

Jackson Lee, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, blasted Trump for attacking NFL players who kneel during the national anthem at games to draw attention to the treatment of African-Americans by law enforcement.

Then she took a knee herself.

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“I kneel in honor of them. I kneel in front of the flag and on this floor,” Jackson Lee declared.

“I kneel in honor of the First Amendment. I kneel because the flag is a symbol for freedom. I kneel because I’m going to stand against racism. I kneel because I will stand with those young men and I’ll stand with our soldiers. And I’ll stand with America, because I kneel,” she said.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first drew controversy last year by kneeling during the national anthem.

Trump revived the debate during a rally in Alabama on Friday, saying, “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.’ ”

He continued to fan the flames over the weekend through multiple tweets, writing on Sunday that “Sports fans should never condone players that do not stand proud for their National Anthem or their Country. NFL should change policy!”

Multiple team owners and athletes pushed back against Trump, and many linked arms or knelt during NFL games on Sunday.

And on Monday, the entire Dallas Cowboys team, including owner Jerry Jones, knelt before the national anthem prior to their game against the Arizona Cardinals.