The media spun yet another one of Trump’s remarks on Thursday, claiming that he wants to deport NFL players who kneel for the national anthem.
During an early morning interview on “Fox & Friends,” Trump slammed NFL kneelers, asserting, “You shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe they shouldn’t be in the country.”
Some in the media assumed that Trump was talking about deporting the players rather than just suggesting that they shouldn’t live in the United States if they don’t like to stand for the anthem.
CNN anchor Poppy Harlow reported on-air, for example, that the “President of the United States suggested potential deportation for anyone that kneels during the national anthem.”
“You heard that right,” she asserted.
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Sports commentators and media figures jumped on board with that interpretation of Trump’s comments and expressed outrage over something the president never actually said.
“Deportation if you don’t stand for the anthem,” the president of Showtime Sports tweeted. “That doesn’t sound dictatorial at all.”
Deportation if you don’t stand for the anthem. That doesn’t sound dictatorial at all. https://t.co/H0qTfUIsQT
— Stephen Espinoza (@StephenEspinoza) May 24, 2018
Ian Rapaport, National Insider for the NFL Network, also insisted that the president suggested “deporting American citizens who don’t stand for the anthem.”
The President suggests deporting American citizens who don’t stand for the anthem. In other words, good morning https://t.co/QPJ1O8FWUg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 24, 2018
15-yard penalty plus deportation for kneeling. Got it. https://t.co/WYmX4nFOK4
— Corey Erdman (@corey_erdman) May 24, 2018
The selective interpretation of Trump’s comments comes just one week after the media falsely accused him of referring to all immigrants as “animals.” The president was referring specifically to MS-13, a violent gang. (RELATED: Media Falsely Accuses Trump Of Calling Immigrants ‘Animals’)