September 25, 2017

Trump's press secretary defended Trump vitriolic attack of the NFL and its players, telling the press. "I think it's always appropriate for the President of the United States to defend our flag," and for those "who fought and died to defend it."

Jingoism is MAGA!

After Huckabee's opening remarks, Fox News' John Roberts asked, "Given the response the president has gotten in the last 48 hours even from Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, who believes what the president said on Friday night was very divisive, does the president regret at all describing these players who take a knee for the national anthem as S.O.B.s who should be fired?"

Okay, this is a funny question for many reasons.

Not funny- ha-ha, but sad because Trump has never backed away from any divisive statement he's ever made since he's been in office.

She replied, "Look, this isn't about the president being against anyone - "

I think demanding players be fired and calling them 'sonsofbitches' is being against a whole lot of people, Sarah.

"- but this is about the president and millions of Americans being for something, being for honoring our our national anthem and honoring the men and women who fought to defend it, " she said.

She then read off General Dempsey's statement against not standing for the national anthem.

Roberts continued, "Did the president go too far in referring to the players as SOB's who should be fired?"

She replied, I think it's always appropriate for the President of the United States to defend our flag, to defend the national anthem and to defend the men and women who fought and died to defend it, Peter?"

So Trump's federal government can now discard Americans' first amendment rights and can demand workers to be fired over their actions for reasons only the White House deems appropriate?

NBC's Peter Alexander asked Sanders what message the president is sending by heavily weighing in on players' right to protest while ignoring natural disasters happening right now in Puerto Rico.

He asked, "What message is the president sending by emphasizing sports right now and not a big crisis that is affecting so many?"

Huckabee weirdly said, "He's not emphasizing sports."

Huh?

"You're missing the entire purpose of the message. He's emphasizing something that should be unifying, celebrating and promoting patriotism in our country. It's something that should bring everyone together," she said.

When a dictator scolds his people over what he believes their patriotism should be, that's not celebrating it, that's criminalizing it.

Alexander didn't back away, "Then what message does it send for the president to stand behind the presidential seal at a rally in Alabama and call American citizen who is expressing his first amendment rights, a son of a bitch?"

Sanders said, "Again, I think it's always appropriate for our president to defend our flag, to defend the national anthem -- hang on, I'm not finished. It's always appropriate for the president of this country to promote the flag, to promote our national anthem and ask people to respect it."

Asking people to respect it is one thing. When the president calls our citizens "son of a bitches" and demands they be fired, that's crossed the line into an illegal action.

Unfortunately, most conservatives that watch Fox News or listen to hate talk AM radio believe the First amendment is only there to protect right wingers after they make or take racist or homophobic actions or remarks at their jobs.

And Puerto Rico is begging for our help.

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