President Trump devoted half of his early morning tweets to sports, as he again went after the National Football League and tore into suspended ESPN anchor Jemele Hall, who has branded him a racist.
‘Why is the NFL getting massive tax breaks while at the same time disrespecting our Anthem, Flag and Country? Change tax law!’ the president first wrote.
The president then used Twitter to dabble into health care and immigration policy before calling out Hill, who was suspended Monday for two weeks for firing off more controversial tweets, this time about the NFL’s national anthem protests.
‘With Jemele Hill at the mike, it is no wonder ESPN ratings have “tanked,”‘ the president wrote. ‘In fact, tanked so badly it is the talk of the industry!’
After the administration’s beef with the NFL had quieted down for several days, Vice President Pence brought it back to roar Sunday by briefly appearing at an Indianapolis Colts game, saying he was there to see former quarterback Peyton Manning honored.
President Trump devoted half his Tuesday morning tweets to controversies in the world of sports, suggesting the NFL should no longer get tax breaks while saying that anchor Jemele Hill is responsible for ESPN’s ‘tank’ing ratings
President Trump reignited his fight with the National Football League first thing Tuesday suggesting the US government should no longer give the teams tax breaks
President Trump then turned his attention to ESPN host Jemele Hall, who was suspended from the network Monday for more controversial tweets. The president suggested she had ‘tanked’ ESPN’s ratings
But the Colts were playing the San Francisco 49ers, whose ex-quarterback Colin Kaepernick had been the first player to take a knee during the national anthem, saying he was protesting racial inequality.
While Kaepernick is still a free agent, a handful of his teammates have continued kneeling through the Star Spangled Banner every game this year.
After standing for the national anthem personally, and watching some 49ers players kneel, Pence made a hasty exit, quickly tweeting his reasoning – ‘I left today’s Colts game because President Trump and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem’ – with the White House quickly following up with a statement and photo.
Soon, President Trump had taken credit for Pence’s decision to leave.
‘I asked @VP Pence to leave stadium if any players kneeled, disrespecting our country. I am proud of him and @SecondLady Karen,’ Trump tweeted Sunday.
Since then, the administration has been criticized for flying Pence from Las Vegas, to Indianapolis, to attend not even a quarter of the NFL game, back to Las Angeles for a fundraiser, before doing a California swing.
Vice President Mike Pence (left) and wife Karen (right) left an Indianapolis Colts game Sunday after members of the San Francisco 49ers took a knee during the playing of the national anthem
The White House quickly released a statement and a photo of the vice president standing during the Star Spangled Banner leading some people to suggest it was a publicity stunt
On Monday, Trump countered that Pence’s exit wasn’t a publicity stunt.
‘The trip by @VP Pence was long planned,’ the president tweeted. ‘He is receiving great praise for leaving game after the players showed such disrespect for country!’
Trump also tweeted praise at Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
‘A big salute to Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, who will BENCH players who disrespect our Flag.”Stand for Anthem or sit for game!”‘ Trump wrote.
This is where Hill, the ESPN SportsCenter host comes in again.
She had tweeted her own take on Jones’ call to bench players, suggesting that those who opposed the Cowboys owner’s decision could boycott the team’s advertisers.
‘This play always work[s],’ she wrote. ‘Change happens when advertisers are impacted. If you feel strongly about JJ’s statement, boycott his advertisers.’
She followed that up with an explanation.
‘Just so we’re clear: I’m not advocating a NFL boycott. But an unfair burden has been put on players in Dallas & Miami w/ anthem directives,’ she said.
On Monday Hill was suspended from EPSN for ‘a second violation of our social media guidelines.’
Last month the TV personality wrote a number of tweets casting the president as a racist.
‘Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists,’ she wrote in one of the tweets.
The president will likely bring up his issues with the athletics world again today as he hosts Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, to the White House.