Trump flip-flop on Kaepernick?

A week after lambasting NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and player protests before games, Donald Trump told WJLA that he believes Colin Kaepernick deserves a second chance to play professional football.

“If (Kaepernick) deserves it, he should,” Trump said. “If he has the playing ability. He started off great, and then he didn’t end up very great in terms as a player. He was terrific in his rookie year. I think he was very good in his second year, then something happened. So his playing wasn’t up to snuff.

“The answer is absolutely I would. As far as kneeling, I would love to see him get another shot. But obviously he has to be able to play well. If he can’t play well, I think it would be very unfair.”

Kaepernick was exiled from the league following the 2016 season, after he began protesting police brutality and racial injustice by taking a knee during the national anthem.

If this is how the president really feels, it would be surprising to say the least. But if it seems like Trump is just saying whatever comes to mind in hopes of receiving a favorable public reaction, consider this: Kaepernick barely played in his rookie season and proceeded to put together 2.5 seasons of quality football after he took over as the 49ers starting quarterback midway through his second season.

So it’s more than fair to wonder just how much thought — if any — the president put into his latest diatribe.

Following the initial wave of player protests during the 2016 season, Trump routinely went on Twitter tirades, calling for a boycott of the league