Dissatisfied with the NFL’s announcement that it won’t require players to stand, President Donald Trump launched the “Stand for the National Anthem” petition on Thursday.
On Tuesday, amid controversies surrounding NFL players’ right to protest, NFL owner Roger Goodell said the league would not require players to stand during the national anthem.
“We believe everyone should stand for the national anthem,” Goodell told reporters. “That’s an important part of our policy. It’s also an important part of our game that we all take great pride in. It’s also important for us to honor our flag and our country, and we think our fans expect us to do that.”
He said the players “will state to you, and they have stated to everyone publicly, they are not doing this in any way to be disrespectful to the flag,” Goodell said. “But they also understand how it’s being interpreted.”
Trump tweeted his disapproval of the decision.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/920606910109356032
“The President has asked for a list of supporters who stand for the National Anthem,” the petition, which lives on gop.com, reads.
