Colin Kaepernick‘s mother, Teresa Kaepernick, is speaking out in defense of her son’s kneeling protest during the National Anthem.
President Donald Trump, referred to as “45” on social media, criticized NFL players who refused to stand for the “Star Spangled Banner” at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama on Friday, September 22:
“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.”
His remarks was met with roaring applause.
Teresa Kaepernick wasn’t having it. Replying to Jamil Smith’s tweet about Trump’s remarks, Teresa fired back:
Teresa Kaepernick Twitter Response
Kaepernick’s parents has been supportive of him for kneeling and fighting against racial injustice and police brutality. In a statement to The Undefeated in December, they declared:
“As his parents, it pains us to read articles and tweets saying that his family does not support him; this could not be further from the truth. We want people to know that we are very proud of our son and admire his strength and courage in kneeling for the rights of others.”
Teresa wasn’t the only one who shared a piece of her mind in regards to Trump’s latest remarks, as athletes, including Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, who called Trump a “bum,” and others who took to Twitter to express their common disdain.
Charlotte, NC – September 18, 2016: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) walks off the field at Bank of America Stadium with his fist up in the air after their game against the Panthers.(Gerry Melendez for ESPN)
The NFL released a statement on Saturday denouncing “divisive comments” that demonstrate a “lack of respect” for the league and its players, although they did not refer to Trump by name:
“The NFL and our players are at our best when we help create a sense of unity in our country and our culture. There is no better example than the amazing response from our clubs and players to the terrible natural disasters we’ve experienced over the last month.
Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities.”
Kaepernick, who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, started the trend of kneeling during “The Star-Spangled Banner” last season. He has yet to be signed to a NFL team after becoming a free agent earlier this year, even after guiding the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship Game and once to the Super Bowl.
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