White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday had a heated exchange with a reporter who flatly told her that NFL players who kneel during\u2026<\/b>
\nWhite House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday had a heated exchange with a reporter who flatly told her that NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem were not disrespecting the flag \u2014 despite President Trump\u2019s insistence that they were.
\u201cIs the president aware it\u2019s not about disrespecting the flag?\u201d American Urban Radio\u2019s April Ryan asked Sanders, even though she had called on another reporter during a press briefing.
When Sanders tried to shut her off, the room grew unusually tense as Ryan, an African-American, doggedly persisted and other reporters gave her space, declining to interrupt.
\u201cAnswer that. It\u2019s an underlying issue. There are black and brown soldiers that fight in the military as well who feel that taking a knee, bringing attention to police-involved shootings is something that this White House should deal with,\u201d Ryan said.
\u201cIs the president aware that taking the knee is about police-involved shootings?\u201d she asked again.
\u201cThe president has made his position crystal clear and that it\u2019s about,\u201d Sanders began to answer before snapping at Ryan when she kept speaking.
\u201cI let you rudely interrupt me and your colleague. I\u2019m going to ask that you allow me to finish my answer. I would be happy to answer it if you would stop talking long enough to let me do that,\u201d Sanders fired back.
\u201cThe president has made his position crystal clear on this topic. He feels strongly that standing for our National Anthem is something that we should do, something that matters to what makes our country special and unique and what sets us apart,\u201d she said.
\u201cHe\u2019s not going to waiver on that. He\u2019s not going to apologize for it. And, frankly, more than 70 percent of Americans agree with him on that matter. If you go back to what the original intent was, this has been made a political argument of which the president is not going to back down from and he\u2019s been clear on it,\u201d she said, again trying to move to another reporter.
\u201cApril, I\u2019ve addressed your question, I\u2019m not going to continue to engage with you.\u201d
NFL players, most of them African-Americans, have repeatedly said they are not protesting the flag or the troops but kneel in protest of police shootings of minorities and social injustice.
But Trump \u2014 who has told aides that he believes the racially tinged issue fires up his base \u2014 is expected to continue raising the issue as the midterm elections approach, according to AP.
The testy exchange with Ryan \u2014 who has aggressively pressed the Trump White House on issues involving race \u2014 came a day after Trump disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles from a White House ceremony celebrating their Super Bowl championship.
Instead, he hastily arranged a celebration in which a military band would play the anthem.
Other athletes mocked Trump\u2019s move.
\u201cI\u2019m sure it wasn\u2019t him uninviting the Eagles. I\u2019m sure they didn\u2019t want to go,\u201d former Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens told TMZ.
\u201cHow does he uninvite people that didn\u2019t want to go? Come on Donald, let\u2019s keep it real.\u201d
NBA stars Steph Curry and LeBron James \u2014 battling for the NBA championship \u2014 both said they\u2019d skip any White house celebrations.
\u201cI know no matter who wins this series, no one wants to get invited anyway,\u201d James said at a news conference Tuesday. \u201cIt won\u2019t be Golden State or Cleveland going.\u201d
Curry, after he was relayed James\u2019 thoughts, said, \u201cI agree with Bron.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Similarity rank: 35<\/div>\n

Sentiment rank: 0.3<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

TW posts: 13<\/div>\n

TW reposts: 0<\/div>\n

TW likes: 0<\/div>\n

TW sentiment: -10<\/div>\n<\/div>\n