Colin Kaepernick’s decision not to stand for the national anthem before NFL games — a trend that’s been catching on across the league — isn’t sitting well with Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King.
King ripped Kaepernick this week during an interview on Newsmax’s “Steve Malzberg Show,” even saying the San Francisco 49ers quarterback is taking advantage of his platform and “undermining patriotism.”
“I understand that he has an Islamic girlfriend that is his fiancée and that this has changed him and has taken on some different political views along the way,” King said on the show, per SI.com. “This is activism that’s sympathetic to ISIS.”
Kaepernick’s silent protest began last month when he sat during “The Star Spangled Banner” before a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. He said the move was designed to bring awareness to the mistreatment of minorities in the United States, and several NFL players since have joined Kaepernick in protesting what they believe are injustices in this country.
Thumbnail photo via John Hefti/USA TODAY Sports Images
