- US Soccer repealed rule requiring players to stand for anthem
- Megan Rapinoe knelt in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick
Megan Rapinoe kneels during the national anthem prior to a match between the United States and the Netherlands in 2016.
Photograph: Kevin C Cox/Getty Images
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will no longer watch the US national soccer teams after a 2017 policy requiring players to stand during the anthem was repealed.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.
Donald J. Trump
(@realDonaldTrump)I won’t be watching much anymore! https://t.co/s8nCg9EJSW
On Wednesday, US Soccer repealed a rule that requires all players to stand during the anthem.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.
Bryan Armen Graham
(@BryanAGraham)US Soccer has repealed its policy requiring players to stand for the national anthem, a rule it adopted in 2017 after Megan Rapinoe kneeled in support of Colin Kaepernick. pic.twitter.com/ennwurs5CO
“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.”
Trump’s statement came after he criticised the NFL for issuing an apology for not listening to its players’ concerns over racism in the United States. In the statement, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league would now “encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest”.
Rapinoe took a knee during the anthem at a pair of national team matches in 2016. She said she wanted to express solidarity with Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who silently took a knee during the national anthem before NFL games to raise awareness of police brutality and racial injustice.
