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Kaepernick says no NFL teams have signed him
since he left the San Francisco 49ers after the 2016 season
because he knelt during the pre-game playing of the national
anthem to protest racial injustice.
"As far as kneeling, I would love to see him get another shot,"
Trump said in an interview with Sinclair Broadcast Group.
"But obviously he has to be able to play well. If he can’t play
well, I think it would be very unfair," Trump said.
As recently as Sunday, Trump said he would not watch NFL games
if players did not stand for the national anthem. He has said in
the past it was disrespectful to the country.
Kaepernick's kneeling protest came under renewed focus in recent
weeks, as demonstrations against racial injustice and police
brutality spread across the country after the death of George
Floyd, a black man who was killed in police custody in
Minneapolis.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said this month that the league
had made mistakes in not listening to players. He said on Monday
he would encourage teams to sign Kaepernick, adding that the
league would also welcome the quarterback's off-the-field
guidance on social justice.
Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL in 2017, claiming
collusion after no teams signed him. He and the NFL settled in
2019.
(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
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