The NFL appears to have heard enough from the president.
Donald Trump spent all weekend bashing NFL players for their ongoing protests during the national anthem, and the president continued his social media firestorm into Monday after a defiant show from players on teams all across the league Sunday.
In a conference call with reporters Monday, the NFL got its chance to respond, and spokesman Joe Lockhart gave full support for the players while also taking a jab at the president.
“Looking at yesterday, everyone should know, including the president, this is what real locker room talk is,” Lockhart told reporters, per USA TODAY. “We don’t seek to get into political debates or relish being in the middle of it, but extraordinary statements from our clubs and owners demonstrate just how deeply we believe in our players and in our game.”
That’s a pretty personal, pointed swipe at Trump, who came under fire during the campaign when an “Access Hollywood” tape leaked in which Trump could be heard saying vulgar things about a woman. He later dismissed the crass behavior as “locker room talk.”
The NFL also responded to Trump’s calls to make the game more physical after repeatedly calling football “soft” in the past.
“The president said something about wanting less emphasis on safety in the game,” Lockhart added, per Pro Football Talk. “We fundamentally could not disagree more. These comments represent someone who’s out of touch.”
We probably haven’t heard the end of this — from either side.
Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports Images
