President Donald Trump once again took issue with NFL player protests this weekend, tweeting on Monday morning that Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch should be suspended for the remainder of the season, after he sat during the American national anthem during the Raiders-Patriots game in Mexico City on Sunday. Lynch stood for the Mexican national anthem which played after the Star-Spangled Banner.
Marshawn Lynch of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders stands for the Mexican Anthem and sits down to boos for our National Anthem. Great disrespect! Next time NFL should suspend him for remainder of season. Attendance and ratings way down.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2017
Here is a photo of Lynch sitting during the anthem on Sunday:
This is not the first time Trump has called for players to be punished for not standing during the anthem. Trump said in October that any player who doesn’t stand for the anthem “should be fired,” drawing the ire of both players and executives, leading to league-wide kneeling as a show of solidarity during Week 3.
Linda Del Rio, the wife of Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, tweeted that she now regrets voting for Trump after his comments on Monday, and that the President is ignoring all of the charitable work the team did while in Mexico City.
President Trump I voted for you, which I now regret. Football is a powerful platform -here’s the charitable work we did in Mexico City #NFLproud pic.twitter.com/sUipfK80Fo
— Linda Del Rio (@DelRioLinda1) November 20, 2017
Reporters on the scene said there wasn’t any booing during Lynch’s protest.
For the record, didn’t hear any boos and they played the Mexican national anthem after the American national anthem. https://t.co/BfnYDT5auF
— Nora Princiotti (@NoraPrinciotti) November 20, 2017
