A new Quinnipiac University poll released on Thursday found that the majority of U.S. voters — 58% — don't find kneeling by NFL players during the national anthem unpatriotic.
Why it matters: President Trump's culture war against the NFL hinges on the argument that players are ignoring the wishes of their fans and disrespecting the flag and U.S. military by kneeling in protest during the national anthem.
Colin Kaepernick's lawyers are expected to seek federal subpoenas of President Trump and Vice President Pence in Kaepernick's collusion case against the NFL in an attempt to gain more information about the administration's contact with league owners over the league's national anthem protests, reports Yahoo Sports.
The big picture: Recordings released earlier this year revealed NFL team owners are terrified of Trump speaking out against the league because of player protests during the national anthem. That forced a rule change from the league, requiring players on the field during the anthem to stand, propelling the issue back into the zeitgeist and culminating with Trump's decision to disinvite the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles from the White House earlier this week.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver voiced support for players to continue "speaking out on issues that are important to them," before Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Earlier this week the leaders from each team, Steph Curry and LeBron James respectively, explained that they would not attend the traditional White House celebration to honor the championship team if invited.
"My reaction, not to what they said, but that that’s where we find ourselves here is sadness frankly. A bit of resignation. But I don’t think it should take away from the fact that these players in our league, our coaches, are speaking out on issues that are important to them and important to society. I think, I encourage them to continue to do that and on top of that, maybe more importantly, look at the things they’re doing in their communities.”
