Trump says he will no longer watch US soccer teams after anthem policy change [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

US Soccer repealed rule requiring players to stand for anthem

Megan Rapinoe knelt in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick

Guardian sport and agencies
Sun 14 Jun 2020 09.04 EDT

Donald Trump says he will no longer watch the US national soccer teams after a 2017 policy requiring players to stand during the anthem was repealed.

On Saturday, the president responded on Twitter to criticism from Florida Republican Matt Gaetz about the new anthem policy. “I won’t be watching much anymore!” wrote Trump.

On Wednesday, the US Soccer repealed a rule that requires all players to stand during the anthem. The policy was originally put in place after USWNT star Megan Rapinoe knelt during the anthem in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. US Soccer’s decision came in the wake of protests across the United States against police brutality and racism.

“We have not done enough to listen – especially to our players – to understand and acknowledge the very real and meaningful experiences of Black and other minority communities in our country. We apologize to our players – especially our Black players – staff, fans, and all who support eradicating racism,” US Soccer said in a statement on Wednesday. “Sports are a powerful platform for good, and we have not used our platform as effectively as we should have. We can do more on these specific issues and we will.”

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jun/14/donald-trump-megan-rapinoe-us-soccer-anthem-standing-policy