It’s no longer “if” Donald Trump will tweet about the NFL again. It’s “when.”
The president of the United States has had an apparent ax to grind with the league all year, particularly over players kneeling during the national anthem at games to protest social inequality in America.
Those protests continued into Week 12, and so too did Trump’s tweets. The president’s latest outburst came Tuesday morning and, as usual, featured a shot at apparent low attendance numbers across the league.
At least 24 players kneeling this weekend at NFL stadiums that are now having a very hard time filling up. The American public is fed up with the disrespect the NFL is paying to our Country, our Flag and our National Anthem. Weak and out of control!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2017
According to Pro Football Reference, the NFL’s attendance numbers are down in comparison to last year, if marginally: A total of 544,109 fans attended the league’s 16 Week 12 games this weekend, as opposed to 552,483 fans for 16 Week 12 games in 2016.
There’s little evidence that suggests player protests are to blame for this dip in attendance numbers or TV ratings, but that hasn’t stopped Trump from pushing that narrative throughout the season.
It appears the NFL has no immediate plans to curtail these ongoing protests, though, so don’t expect Trump to stop tweeting anytime soon.
