President Donald Trump is trying to do an end run with his latest attack on NFL kneelers.
His official re-election campaign website is now selling some eyebrow-raising merchandise in the form of football jerseys for men and women with the words “Stand Up For America” embroidered on them.
The jerseys, which retail for $99, are red ― the color of “Make America Great” caps, as well as the tint commonly used to designate Republican-leaning states and communities. The jerseys also are “proudly made in America,” according to the site’s description.
The number 45 (Trump is the 45 president of the United States) is on the front, while the name “Trump” is emblazed on the back. And the American flag is on the left sleeve of each jersey.
“Our theme originated out of President Trump’s love for the American flag and his fervent belief that Americans should always stand for our National Anthem,” Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, told The New York Post. She serves as a senior advisor to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.
The product was reportedly introduced on Sept. 7, just days after Nike announced that Colin Kaepernick was the face of its latest ad campaign, which sparked controversy.
In 2016, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback was the first NFL player to take a knee during the National Anthem before games to protest racial inequality and police brutality. Teammates and players on other squads soon joined in similar protests during the anthem.
Trump quickly began attacking the players, saying their actions were unpatriotic and an insult to the flag. The players stressed that the protests had nothing to do with patriotism, but Trump has continued with his denunciations, which are routinely greeted with loud cheers at his rallies.
Nate Boyer, a retired Army Green Beret soldier and former NFL player, said he gave Kaepernick the idea to kneel, according to an interview he had with NPR’s “All Things Considered” in September.
Boyer said he saw Kaepernick sit on the bench during the National Anthem before a 2016 preseason game and it had upset him as a veteran. He wrote Kaepernick a letter detailing his concerns and Kaepernick asked to meet with him. During their discussion, Boyer said he suggested that Kaepernick kneel to express his protest because it “was more respectful” than sitting.
Boyer told NPR:
In my experience, kneeling’s never been in our history really seen as a disrespectful act. I mean, people kneel when they get knighted. You kneel to propose to your wife, and you take a knee to pray. And soldiers often take a knee in front of a fallen brother’s grave to pay respects. So I thought, if anything, besides standing, that was the most respectful. But, of course, that’s just my opinion.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in May announced the league was instituting a ban on kneeling during the National Anthem. But NFL officials and the NFL Players Association agreed to suspend enforcement of the new rule in July to allow the league and the players’ union time to discuss the issue. So far, the 2018 season has been marked by few anthem protests.