During a rally in Huntsville, Alabama on Friday night, President Donald Trump had a profane reprimand for NFL players who took a knee during the national anthem.
Among his comments, Trump said owners should fire players who knelt 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 (expletive) off the field right now. Out. He’s fired. He’s fired!’
While the crowd in Huntsville cheered, a different sentiment spread across Twitter on Saturday morning. The hashtag #TakeAKnee was being used to urge solidarity with NFL players, like Colin Kaepernick, who have been protesting police brutality and racial inequality in America by kneeling during the national anthem.
Trump had hoped to chastise players during his speech, but it may have only served to galvanize support in their favor.
By Saturday afternoon, #TakeAKnee was the top trend on Twitter in the United States and being used to show solidarity with players who have decided to kneel.
In a statement released Saturday morning, the NFLPA reiterated their commitment to backing players who decide to kneel.
