Miami Dolphins Players Kneel For Anthem Before Preseason Opener, Donald Trump Criticizes Team On Twitter

The Miami Dolphins seem unconcerned by the NFL’s new stance on national anthem protests, as two of the team’s players kneeled before their preseason home opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Trump Lashes Out At Dolphins For Anthem Protests

President Donald Trump lashed out at the Dolphins on Twitter after wide receivers Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills both took a knee on the sideline. Miami defensive end Robert Quinn protested the anthem by raising his fist, while other players on the squad decided to lock arms.

In a pair of tweets, Trump claimed most of the NFL players continuing to protest the anthem did not even fully understand what they were making statements about, and also said most of the money fans pay to go watch football games “goes to the players.” The president also said the players deserved suspensions without pay if they continued kneeling, a practice free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick first started in August 2016 with the San Francisco 49ers to make a statement about racial inequality and police brutality in the United States.

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Trump has been a frequent vocal critic of athletes kneeling for the national anthem, and is said to have heavily influenced the NFL’s decision in May to punish players who participate in these types of protests with fines and other sanctions. Last month, the league and its union — the NFL Players’ Association — announced that they would freeze the previously established policies on anthem protests “for the next several weeks” after reaching a standstill on the issue many conservatives have deemed controversial.

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Several other NFL players protested the national anthem this week, which marked the start of the preseason. Philadelphia Eagles players like safety Malcolm Jenkins and cornerback De’Vante Bausby raised their fists in Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Even Kaepernick — who has still been unable to return to the league because of his protests — made clear that he hasn’t abandoned his fight for equality. On Thursday night, during the Dolphins’ game, Kaepernick tweeted a photo of him and Stills standing together while wearing black t-shirts that read “I know my rights.” The former 49ers quarterback praised and thanked Stills and Wilson for continuing his protest.

Jenkins also shared this photo of himself in the locker room on Thursday:

The Philadelphia safety drew headlines earlier this summer when he made several signs in response to Trump’s refusal to invite the Eagles to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl victory.