Tom Brady says Trump is wrong about athletes kneeling during the national anthem

Tom Brady.
(Image credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady announced Monday that he "certainly" disagrees with President Trump, who spent the weekend criticizing NFL players who kneel to protest police brutality during the national anthem. "I certainly disagree with what he said. I thought it was just divisive," Brady told the hosts of Boston WEEI's Kirk & Callahan Show.

Brady, who linked arms with fellow Patriots during the national anthem on Sunday, added: "I just want to support my teammates. I am never one to say, 'Oh, that is wrong. That is right.' I do believe in what I believe in." Axios writes that Brady's words and actions matter because "Trump has called Brady a friend and described him as 'the BEST quarterback.'"

The Associated Press counted more than 200 players who knelt or sat during the national anthem in solidarity against Trump, who had urged owners on Friday to fire "son of a bitch" players who declined to stand.

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Still, Brady insisted that "the one thing about football is it brings so many guys together — guys you would never have the opportunity to be around. Whether it was in college, and all the way into the pros. We're all different, we're all unique. That is what makes us all special." Read more at WEEI, or listen to the audio below. Jeva Lange

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.