Campaign Action
Donald Trump’s attack on athletes who protest racial injustice already came with a dog whistle loud enough to be heard across the nation, but for those who might have missed the obvious message the first time around, Trump has trotted out a bullhorn.
“I have so many friends that are owners and they’re in a box. I’ve spoken to couple of them and they say ‘we are in a situation where we have to do something.’ I think they’re afraid of their players if you want to know the truth.”
No one suffers like the rich white men in absolute control of a situation. The poor NFL team owners, want to do something about the terrible disrespect implied by taking an action generally reserved for honoring an injured player. They just can’t do it, because their teams are full of … scary people. That’s why at least eight owners were on the field last week, locking arms with their players and joining them in protests. This follows Trump’s warning that the NFL will “go to hell” if it doesn’t force players to stand during the anthem and insistence that any “son of a bitch” who protests should be fired—because nothing says love of freedom like forcing people to obey.
For those who failed to hear the entire racist pan-flute recital in Trump’s NFL comments, he’s also provided a sport where he gives approval.
There have been a grand total of four black NASCAR drivers since 1961.
This is a sport that is almost entirely white. In 2013, a demo profile from Nielsen, pulling from TV viewership data, found that only 2 percent of NASCAR viewers were black, the Atlantic reported. Its white viewership, meanwhile, was 94 percent.
NASCAR is also a sport that lacks something else the NFL has—unions. NASCAR drivers are at-will workers who can be dismissed for any reason, including rich white team owners out to please Donald Trump.
NFL—Bad, scary, SOBs
NASCAR—Good, proud, Americans
Don’t worry, if it’s not clear yet, Trump is bound to say something even more definitively racist at the next opportunity. Because escalating an issue is what Trump does.
While you wait, enjoy this video of NFL owners being scared by their players.
