NFL players unwilling to stand for the national anthem should be barred from playing and maybe “shouldn’t be in the country,” President Trump said in a television interview that aired Thursday. The president was reacting to the adoption Wednesday of a new NFL policy that could bring disciplinary action for players who kneel or make other protests during the national anthem. Critics, led by Trump, have decried it as an unpatriotic slap at American traditions and unity. Under the new policy, players may choose to remain in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem, but owners said that those who choose to be on the sideline will be expected to stand. The changes also allow the league to fine teams for any protest during the anthem by one of its players.

Source: Washington Post May 24, 2018 10:42 UTC