PoliticsDonald Trumphate speechRacism

Trump Called White Supremacists 'Very Fine People' But An Athlete Who Protests Is A 'Son Of A Bitch'

This is a stark contrast.
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By 

Reporter, HuffPost

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President Donald Trump’s harsh criticism of athletes who protested during the national anthem offered a stark contrast from his description of white supremacist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, whom he defended by saying that some were “very fine people.”

On Friday, Trump criticized athletes like former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who drew national attention when he kneeled during the national anthem last year to protest police brutality (though the president didn’t mention him by name). Several other players across the NFL followed Kaepernick and engaged in similar protests.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he’s fired?’” Trump said Friday during a rally in Huntsville, Alabama.

Trump took issue with the NFL demonstrations but was less harsh on far-right neo-Nazi groups who gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia, for a rally in August. The rally was met with anti-fascist counterprotesters who clashed with participants. One woman was killed after James Fields Jr., who was there with white nationalist groups, plowed his car into a crowd of anti-racist demonstrators.

Despite the violence, Trump declined to condemn white supremacists.

“You had a group on one side who was bad, and you had a group on the other side that was also very violent, and nobody wants to say that, but I’ll say it right now,” he said in August. “You have people who are very fine people on both sides.” Trump’s equivalency was immediately met with criticism as many said he was elevating the morals and views of white supremacist groups.

Several people on Twitter noted the hypocrisy in Trump’s different reactions to the two events.

After he made the comments about NFL protests, Trump targeted Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry on Saturday after the basketball player said he would urge the team not to attend a White House celebration for the NBA champions. Some used the contrast with Charlottesville to highlight how Trump seems to be targeting prominent black voices expressing dissent.

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Before You Go

Best Scenes From Birmingham On HuffPost's Listen To America Tour
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The HuffPost bus sits in front of Region Field stadium as HuffPost visits Birmingham, Alabama, on Sept. 20 as part of Listen To America. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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HuffPost tents bustling with people waiting to be interviewed. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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Jonathan, who is 4 years old, checks out his temporary tattoo. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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Brownie the dog walks around the HuffPost activation site. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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HuffPost Editor-in-Chief Lydia Polgreen chats with Glenny Broch. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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HuffPost Senior Front Page Editor Chloe Angyal gets dog kisses from Brownie the dog. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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David Odenwelder shows off his dance moves for HuffPost during the outlet's visit to Birmingham. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
(08 of25)
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Railroad Park sign in Birmingham. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
(09 of25)
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Lydia Polgreen interviews Birmingham Mayor William Bell on the HuffPost bus. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
(10 of25)
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Nadine Barton show off her dance moves for HuffPost during the outlet's visit to Birmingham. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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Birmingham Mayor William Bell points to his city's name on the HuffPost bus. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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Nadine Barton and David Odenwelder show off their dance moves. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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The HuffPost bus in front of the 16th Street Baptist Church. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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The HuffPost bus in front of the 16th Street Baptist Church. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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William Bell, the mayor of Birmingham, speaks before the event called "Overcoming and Surviving Inner City Violence in Birmingham" (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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Interior shots of the 16th Street Baptist Church. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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Sarah Verser speaks during the "Overcoming and Surviving Inner City Violence in Birmingham" event. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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Sarah Verser interviews Lydia Polgreen before the "Overcoming and Surviving Inner City Violence in Birmingham" event. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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City Council member Sheila Tyson speaks to moderator Sarah Verser and panelists David Luker, Danny Carr, Henry Irby, Carolyn Johnson and Jarralynne Agee during the "Overcoming and Surviving Inner City Violence in Birmingham" event. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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Jarralynne Agee speaks to the crowd. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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Carolyn Johnson speaks about her son. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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Birmingham Deputy Police Chief Henry Irby speaks to the attendees. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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A.J. Johnson explains his point of view at the event. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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Eric Craig helps a person down the stairs after the "Overcoming and Surviving Inner City Violence in Birmingham" event. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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A Martin Luther King Jr. statue in front of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. (credit:Damon Dahlen/HuffPost)
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