Trump uses anthem issue against ESPN
and Linda Cohn. That’s why I was so heartened when our president, only hours after he was “credibly accused in federal court of directing one of his subordinates to commit a federal crime” (quoting the Fake Washington Post there), made the NFL and ESPN his first topics at a rally Tuesday night in Charleston, W.Va.
That’s right, just 67 seconds into his address, after he praised the John Denver song “Country Roads” (and it really is good), and after he reminded the crowd that he won West Virginia by 42 points, Mr. Trump said, “You’re proud of our country, you’re proud of our history, and unlike the NFL, you always honor and cherish our great American flag.”
Ihave long maintained thatthe NFL does not cherish the flag like it should. But the manwas just getting started. Seconds later, barely a minute into his speech on the day his presidency might have changed for good, Mr. Trump brought up ESPN. As well he should have.
Were it up to me, he would have ripped MLB Network andthe Golf Channel, too. But I digress.
“Itwas just announced by ESPN that rather than defending our anthem — our beautiful, beautiful national anthem— and defending our flag, they’ve decided that they just won’t broadcast when they play the national anthem, ”Mr. Trump said. “We don’t like that. So while the player sare kneeling — some of them, not all of them, at all —you’re all proudly standing for our national anthem. The ESPN thing was terrible. Just came out.”
Sure, it had also just come out that Mr. Trump’s former personal lawyer pled guilty to breaking campaign finance laws and his former campaign chairman had been convicted on tax and bank fraud charges, but we’re talking priorities here.
We’re talking “Monday Night Football.”
The ESPN thing was terrible. is why I was so pleased to see the president comeback at them hours later.He made it a priority Wednesday to email his supporters— including most NFL team owners, I’d guess —that he had started a petition to pressure ESPN into televising the anthem before “Monday Night Football” everyweek. I’d been praying on that.
Sure, I had to check 12 times to make sure the email was real. Does that make it anyless powerful? Itreads like this: “Friend, Just after we heard a sitting governor trash America, ESPN has now decided it will nolonger play the National Anthem before Monday Night Football.
If “America” is too offensive for anyone in our country, then what are they doing in America?
I’m calling on you to join mein denouncing this SPINE LESS surrender to the politically correct liberal mob.
Iwas the first person to sign this petition. Now I need you to follow my lead and be thesecond.”
I signed it so fast I’ll bet I wasthe second. And, yes, I know ESPN only showed the anthem three times last season— on the 16th anniversaryof the Sept. 9, 2001 terror attacks, after the mass shooting in Las Vegas and the week after the president ripped players for protesting racial injustice — and almost never showed it before that. I know this is ESPN simply adhering to a longstanding policy.
But those are just facts. I want justice. I want victory.
Iwant a front-row seat when Scott Van Pelt surrenders.