President Obama addressed San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to sit during the national anthem.
Obama admitted that he hasn’t been paying much attention to the Kaepernick affair and the NFL during his trip to China, but is loosely aware of why Kaepernick is refusing to stand during the national anthem. (RELATED: Colin Kaepern
He said in part:
My understanding at least is that he’s exercising his constitutional right to make a statement. I think there’s a long history of sports figures doing so. I think that there’s a lot of ways to do it. As a general matter when it comes to the flag and the national anthem, the meaning that holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us, that is a tough thing for them to get past to then hear what his deeper concerns are. But I don’t doubt his sincerity based on what I’ve heard. I think he cares about some real legitimate issues that have to be talked about.
WATCH:
Obama on @Kaepernick7: “I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about.” pic.twitter.com/htPDCsqg6c
— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) September 5, 2016
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has refused to stand for the national anthem for two straight games while in uniform, and it doesn’t appear that he’ll likely stand anytime soon.