NASCAR and the NFL are vowing to stand up for racial justice in a way that could challenge the president’s relationship with each organization
Yet Trump stood his ground. He attacked Goodell, wondering whether the commissioner was telling players “that it would now be O.K. for the players to KNEEL, or not to stand, for the national anthem, thereby disrespecting our Country & our Flag?” And he separately lashed out about a blossoming discussion about renaming military bases named after Confederate leaders.
The debate over kneeling during the national anthem began in 2016, when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the song in protest of police brutality and racial injustice. Trump fanned the flames of the issue, at one point calling for NFL owners to fire players for taking a knee.Around the same time, Trump praised NASCAR for resisting kneeling protests.
More broadly, the president has long aligned himself with the two leagues. Trump once tried to purchase an NFL team and counts some NFL owners, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, among his supporters and donors. Trump tapped New York Jets part-owner Woody Johnson as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom. And he has praised the NASCAR-founding France family, some of whom are Trump donors, at political events.
Trump with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft at the White House. Kraft donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesAs part of that, NASCAR issued a statement banning the Confederate flag from all events, just hours before Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s only top-tier black driver, made laps in a race car painted with “Black Lives Matter.
“In all sports, we have this big platform and we are speaking to millions of people every week, and have a devoted fan base and we need to lead,” France said.
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