President Donald Trump unloaded Wednesday on “Black Lives Matter” and professional athletes who kneel for the national anthem, declaring that if he loses the 2020 presidential election for speaking out against such issues, he’s “okay” with it.
“I think it’s disgraceful,” Trump said of the “new norm” of professional athletes kneeling for the “Star-Spangled Banner.” “I was pushing them to get open, then I see everybody kneeling during the anthem. It’s not acceptable to me.”
“When I see them kneeling, I just turn off the game,” the president said. “I have no interest in the game; and let me tell you this, there are plenty of other people out there, too.”
The president then took on the Black Lives Matter organization, boasting about his work for the black community and slamming the activist group for their anti-police rhetoric and “Marxist” ties.
“Black Lives Matter, where did it start?” posed Trump, “Marching down streets screaming, ‘Pigs in a blanket, Fry ’em like bacon’ — they were talking about policemen, police men and women. ‘Pigs in a blanket, Fry ’em like bacon.'”
Trump was seemingly referring to BLM activists loudly chanting the anti-police slogan back in 2015 during a demonstration in St. Paul, Minnesota.
CNN has confirmed that the demonstration was held by a “Black Lives Matter group,” but claims it was “an independent entity not affiliated with the national Black Lives Matter organization.”
“So, all of a sudden it’s taken on this air of great respectability,” Trump questioned BLM. “Well, how does it start there? It’s a Marxist group that is not looking for good things for our country.”
“And now I see these leagues all kneeling down,” he continued, “And, again, nobody has done more for the black community by far … than I have,” he said, excluding former president and emancipator Abraham Lincoln.
Trump added that he’s hearing that the ratings for the NBA and MLB are “way down” over the left-wing activism and vowed to continue to speak out about the apparent disrespect to our country and flag.
“We gotta stand up for our flag,” Trump said. “We have to stand up for our country, we have to stand up for our anthem. And a lot of people agree with me.”
“Hey, if I’m wrong,” he said, “I’m gonna lose an election, okay? And that’s oaky with me. But I will always stand for our country and our flag.”
On Tuesday, Trump posted a tweet critical of the anthem kneeling, writing, “People are not happy that players are not standing for our National Anthem!”
People are not happy that players are not standing for our National Anthem!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2020
And days earlier, he retweeted a post by Students for Trump praising a lone NBA anthem stander.
More acts of courage from within the NBA – Miami Heat’s Meyers Leonard stands for what he believes! pic.twitter.com/zmh1ZQDpZq
— Students For Trump (@TrumpStudents) August 1, 2020
WATCH:
TRUMP on Black Lives Matter:
“It’s a Marxist group that is not looking for good things for our country and now I see these leagues all kneeling down and again, nobody has done more for the Black community by far … than I have." pic.twitter.com/p7ObY3UxFT
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) August 5, 2020