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President Trump weighed in on the kneeling Detroit Lions and Houston Texans players during the national anthem ahead of their Thanksgiving Day soccer game.
Trump offered a two-word response on Twitter to photos of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and Texans counterpart Deshaun Watson taking one knee to protest police brutality and racism in the United States.
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“No thanks!” he wrote.
Trump fiercely criticized the players kneeling during the anthem, accusing them of disrespecting the military. However, several players said their protest had nothing to do with the military and instead had everything to do with social injustice.
Players have knelt during the national anthem since the first week of the NFL season after a summer of racial tensions and protests after several blacks died in incidents involving police.
NFL broadcasts showed the protests during the anthem at the start of the season, but subsided as the season progressed.
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Stafford explained to reporters earlier in the season why he was on his knees during the anthem.
“I just felt like it was the right thing at the right time,” he said in September via MLive. “Obviously it’s been an amazing offseason just for our team, for a lot of people, something where there has been great opportunities for growth, learning and understanding, and I just felt like it was the right thing for me.
The Texans made a statement ahead of their opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. The team opted to stay in the locker room while the national anthem played and “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, also known as the Black National Anthem. They then joined the Chiefs players in a “moment of unity”.
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The protests were part of the league’s efforts to promote social justice issues. The league had also painted “End Racism” in the team end areas.
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