A week after President Trump galvanized the entire NFL against him following remarks about how owners should fire any “son of a bitch” who protested the national anthem and somehow made commissioner Roger Goodell—Roger fucking Goodell—into the good guy, he’s returned to that well, because his strength is rambling about the last thing he saw. Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn, Trump claimed the football league is in a “really bad box” and said “the NFL has to change.”
Here’s the transcript:
In my opinion, the NFL has to change, or you know what’s gonna happen? Their business is gonna go to hell. Okay?
We have to respect our national anthem, we have to respect our country, and they’re not respecting our country. And most importantly, the fans agree with me—I mean largely the fans agree, but we have to show total respect for our national anthem for our flag, for our country, we have to do it.
And you can, there are plenty of places, and there are plenty of—personally when they’re protesting during the football game. I think they can find better places, but they cannot do it during the national anthem.
[Is asked question]
I’m going to see, I’m looking at that very closely, I am not happy with it, I will tell you I am not happy with it.
Personally I am, the thing is—well I’m not sure, you know, personally, that ratings are exactly as much in the toilet as he thinks they are.