There’s no way to know what will happen when the NFL’s new national anthem policy is put into place or what President Trump, as he is wont to do, will tweet about it.
Whatever happens and whatever NFL players decide to do, Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins doesn’t think Trump will understand the reasons behind what occurs.
“I think Trump is more closed-minded and he thinks the reason that we’re kneeling is because of the flag,” Hopkins said in an interview with TMZ Sports. “When that’s like not at all the reason we’re kneeling. I kneeled last year and one of my best friends is a Purple Heart veteran and my uncle is a Purple Heart veteran and they understand that it’s not about the flag.”
Hopkins said Trump, who has routinely ripped players for kneeling during the anthem and asked players to give him names of people to pardon instead of kneeling, just doesn’t get that the protests are against social injustice, not the American flag or the U.S. military.
During the interview, Hopkins also said he anticipates many players will ignore the NFL’s new policy and continue to protest on the field instead of staying in the locker room during the anthem.
“I’ve seen a couple owners that said they would pay for the fine, so respect to those owners that said they would pay for our fines because they understand why we’re kneeling,” he said.
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