Donald Trump again takes aim at NFL with tweet about protesting players

Tom Schad | USA TODAY

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President Donald Trump revived his criticism of the NFL in a tweet Thursday morning.

Two days before the beginning of the NFL playoffs, the president took to Twitter to once again denounce players who kneel during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality. Trump re-tweeted an image of a woman and child on the ground near the grave of a soldier, an apparent nod to the potential sacrifices made by members of the military.

"So beautiful," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel!"

So beautiful....Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! https://t.co/tJLM1tvbvb — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018

Trump has repeatedly ripped the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell in the wake of the demonstrations, which he views as unpatriotic and disrespectful to the military. The president used an expletive to describe the protesting players in September, which prompted more than 200 players — and multiple owners — to kneel in response.

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Players who have kneeled during the national anthem have generally described the protest as a means of raising awareness about critical social-justice issues, explaining that they are not meant to disrespect the military in any way. Other outside observers have described the protests as fiercely patriotic, citing the players' utilization of their First Amendment rights.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.

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