Colin Kaepernick made headlines during the 2016 NFL season when he began taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem before games in protest of systemic oppression, racial injustice, and police brutality against Black people and people of color.
Throughout his protest and in the years that followed, Kaepernick received some heavy pushback from United States President Donald Trump. As a result, it sounds like Kaepernick wasn’t particularly interested in meeting with him.
Trump Spoke Out Against Kaepernick
Back in 2016, in the thick of Kaepernick’s protests, Trump spoke out against Kaepernick, calling the protests “terrible” and suggesting that Kaepernick should leave the country and find somewhere else to live.
“I have followed it,” Trump told Dori Monson on Seattle’s KIRO radio station via ABC News. “And I think it’s personally not a good thing. I think it’s a terrible thing. Maybe he should find a country that works better for him. Let him try. It won’t happen.”
Trump went on to praise the NFL in 2018 when the league banned players from kneeling during the national anthem, as he again suggested that players who do not want to stand for the national anthem should not be playing in the league or living in the United States.
“I don’t think people should be staying in locker rooms,” Trump said in an interview with ‘Fox and Friends’ in May of 2018. “You have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you shouldn’t be playing. You shouldn’t be there. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem.”
Kaepernick Rejected Kaepernick
During a recent interview with Ben Meiselas on the MediasTouch podcast, Kaepernick revealed that he actually rejected what would have been a highly publicized meeting with Trump at the White House.
“What I’ve learned over the years is there’s going to be a constant attempt to be able to co-opt people who are trying to work to the benefit of the people,” Kaepernick said on the podcast.
Kaepernick said the outreach came through CNN host Van Jones, but he quickly rejected the proposal.
“I don’t know the details around it because, candidly, as soon as it came up as ‘Hey, here is the opportunity,’ it was immediately rejected,” Kaepernick said. “Again, this is after him going out publicly and trying to target me and my employment.”
Kaepernick does not believe that the invitation was genuine, but for Trump to put up a “facade” that he is working for the betterment of the Black community when that is simply not the case.
“Him trying to garner support and put up a facade that he is working for Black people or trying to be to the benefit of Black people,” Kaepernick said. “History shows otherwise. There’s a longstanding history there, whether it goes back to the real estate side or whether it goes back to the exonerated five. Those are not debated things; those are well documented.”
“The marketing and the facade and the perception that ‘Hey, all of the negative actions that we are taking that are counter to your interests, let us put on a good show and try to give you the visibility and the perception like we’re trying to do good for you,’ which actually is just not the case. And that has been proven time and time again,” he continued.
Kaepernick continues to speak out against the NFL and Trump more than a decade removed from his high-profile protests.
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