Former GOP presidential candidate and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz blasted athletes who refuse to stand during the national anthem as it is played before their sporting events.
Cruz appeared on a TMZ.com video responding to questions about Colin Kaepernick and others who have followed his lead in kneeling or refusing to stand and face the flag while the national anthem is played.
“It’s sad when you see rich, spoiled athletes that don’t recognize what an incredible blessing this country is,” Cruz told TMZ. “You know, it’s very easy when you’re sitting there, rolling in millions of dollars, to disrespect this country.”
Contrasting these athletes with his father, who suffered torture and imprisonment in Cuba, Cruz seemed to suggest athletes have it too easy and fail to realize the great things about America.
He also blasted President Obama for supporting Kaepernick and other athletes who have taken a similar stance toward the flag and national anthem. “The President should be encouraging every American to honor the flag that so many have bled and died for, and to honor the freedom that it stands for,” Cruz declared.
Cruz continued his comments on Twitter after seeing this tweet by ESPN analyst Jalen Rose:
On his own Twitter page, Cruz responded this way:
He then went on to call for a boycott of the athletes’ clothing and shoe lines:
The comments to his tweets were a mixture of agreement, people pointing out that the First Amendment gives these athletes freedom to dissent, and insults.
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