Donald Trump called military officials ‘dumb’ meaning kneeling naysayers owe athletes an apology

It was never about the flag or the anthem. It was about white America being pissed off that Black, and white, athletes were attempting to hold this country accountable for its greatest sins — racism and police brutality — at the beginning of America’s favorite game during a part of the week in which they’re privileged selves are supposed to be “getting away from it all.” The jig is up.

Six years after Donald Trump infamously said, “Get that son of a bitch off the field,” to the applause of an audience when addressing Colin Kaepernick and other (mostly) Black athletes who were kneeling during that time, Trump called military officials “dumb” to the applause of an audience.

“Some of the dumbest people I’ve ever met in my life,” he said during a campaign event in Iowa earlier this week, as he appeared to mock Gen. Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, according to a report from Newsweek.

In case you’ve never been to a sporting event in America — Americans love “disrespecting” the anthem and the flag when that racist song is played before games. People are talking, on their phones, some leave their hats on, others go to the bathroom, and many stay seated. It’s never been a problem, anywhere. Well, until some Black, and white, athletes started dropping to their knees because they got tired of white police officers using Black bodies as target practice, as it felt like they always got away with it.

And if you’re familiar with white America, then you know that nothing infuriates them more than being held accountable, especially when it comes from Black people who should just be “grateful to be here” or (nasty) women who talk too much. It’s why their anger was always laughable, given that it wasn’t real. Because if it had been, they wouldn’t have been active participants in the actual disrespecting of the flag and anthem that they claimed to be falsely enraged by.

They also would have kept that same energy for their leader, who has a long history of disrespecting our servicemen and women.

In 2020, Trump insulted our troops, veterans, and missing service members by calling military members “losers” and “suckers.” He also called the late John McCain a “loser” and said, “He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured.” In 2018, The Atlantic reported that Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris because “he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead.”

A patriot is defined as a person who loves and strongly supports or fights for his or her country. Colin Kaepernick is a patriot, and so are the men, women, and children of every race who took a knee in peaceful protest against racism and police brutality. Holding something or someone you love accountable for their actions is an act of love. Disrespecting those who served, applauding their ridicule, and being angered by those who dare to be courageous enough to stand against injustices is an act of treason.