Patriots owner Robert Kraft slams Trump comments against football players

Robert Kraft, chairman and CEO of the New England Patriots, slams US President Donald Trump over his row with basketball and football players.

At a rally in Huntsville, Alabama, on Friday, Trump hurled epithets at football players who refuse to stand during the national anthem in protest over police treatment of blacks.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,'” Trump said to loud applause.

On Sunday morning, he tweeted, “If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!”

Kraft, who owns the Patriots, responds: “I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President on Friday. I am proud to be associated with so many players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting our communities. Their efforts, both on and off the field, help bring people together and make our community stronger. There is no greater unifier in this country than sports, and unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics. I think our political leaders could learn a lot from the lessons of teamwork and the importance of working together toward a common goal. Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community and I support their right to peacefully affect [sic] social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is most impactful.”