President Trump renewed his attack against the NFL on Friday for not imposing penalties against players who take a knee during the national anthem to protest racism and police brutality.
“Can you believe that the disrespect for our Country, our Flag, our Anthem continues without penalty to the players. The Commissioner has lost control of the hemorrhaging league. Players are the boss!” the president tweeted Friday morning.
Trump’s tirade came after Thanksgiving games in which New York Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon knelt during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
His tweet was in response to one from his social media chief, Dan Scavino, who had shared a Breitbart News story about Vernon’s actions before the game against the Washington Redskins.
Breitbart is run by Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist.
On Wednesday morning, the president slammed the NFL after reports that the league would consider keeping teams in the locker room during the national anthem next season.
And two days earlier, he wrote that Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch should be suspended after he sat during the anthem on Sunday.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that the league believes “everyone should stand for the national anthem” but would not change its policies to force players to do so.
Last season, former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began sitting, then kneeling, during the anthem, inspiring others to stage their own protests, which a handful of players have continued to carry out.
Trump began his crusade against the NFL in September, when he referred to any kneeling player as a “son of a bitch” and called for team owners to fire any players who participate in the demonstrations.