Despite very publicly disagreeing with Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem, US President Donald Trump says he believes an NFL team should sign the quarterback for the 2019 season with one important caveat — he has to be good enough.
A reporter asked Trump about Kaepernick on Friday, and the president said he would “love to see Kaepernick come in if he’s good enough.”
President Trump on if Colin Kaepernick should get an opportunity to play in the NFL: “Only If he’s good enough. I know the owners, I know Bob Kraft. They will do anything they can to win games”
(via @tictoc) pic.twitter.com/THgoNaYqIp
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 9, 2019
“I don’t want to see him come in because somebody thinks it’s a good PR move,” Trump said. “If he’s good enough, he will be in.”
Trump added that he knows many NFL owners personally and that they would sign Kaepernick “in a heartbeat” if he was good enough to be on a roster. Of course, many people believe Kaepernick has been out of the league since 2016 because owners disagree with his political views or fear potential backlash.
In the past, Trump has said NFL players who kneel during the national anthem should be cut by their respective teams. He also bragged about his supposed role in Kaepernick not being signed, so even saying he would like to see him in the NFL “if he’s good enough” is a change in tone.
