Paul Ryan: ‘It’s Misguided To Protest The Anthem And The Flag’

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 27: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., left, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., lead the Congressional GOP media availability to unveil the GOP tax reform plan in the C... UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 27: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., left, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., lead the Congressional GOP media availability to unveil the GOP tax reform plan in the Capitol on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

While he made it clear that he believes “people have a right to express themselves,” House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said Thursday that he thinks the protests during the national anthem at football games are “misguided.”

Ryan wouldn’t comment on President Donald Trump’s remarks about the protests because he said he hadn’t seen all of Trump’s statements. But Ryan defended Trump’s stance that the protests are seen as disrespectful because they involves the American flag and the national anthem.

“What I don’t think people see from the get-go is when you do it on the flag and the anthem, it looks like you’re protesting against the ideals of America, the patriotism, the people who put their lives on the line, given their life for the country,” he said to reporters Thursday. “So I just don’t think — I think it’s misguided to protest the anthem and the flag.”

He said the protests don’t translate well because people see it as disrespectful to the country, rather than a “political issue.”

“That’s the point I think some people are missing in this debate,” he said.

Ryan’s home state football team, the Green Bay Packers, are planning to stand during the anthem Thursday night and lock arms. The team has invited fans to do the same as a sign of unity, according to The Green Bay Press Gazette.

On Sunday, as many teams across the NFL showed some sign of protest during the anthem, most of the Packers players locked arms and stood during the anthem and three sat.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. It’s misguide to worship pieces of cloth and songs as if they are deities.

  2. Wake me when you’re “troubled” Paul, you might get more of a rise out of me.

  3. Avatar for sooner sooner says:

    While he made it clear that he believes “people have a right to express themselves,” House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said Thursday that he thinks the protests during the national anthem at football games are “misguided.”

    Yep, exercising First Amendment rights is certainly misguided. Unless you’re a white nationalist shouting “Jews Will Not Replace Us”

    That’s just fine and hunky dory, right little Eddie?

  4. “So I just don’t think…"

    That’s part of the problem

  5. Did any of our intrepid reporters bother to ask Paul Ryan to define “American ideals”? Because I’d sure like to know WTF he is talking about…

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

123 more replies

Participants

Avatar for robaruba Avatar for marnold Avatar for sooner Avatar for sysprog Avatar for gelfling545 Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for thepsyker Avatar for inversion Avatar for sniffit Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for lastroth Avatar for mike_in_houston Avatar for bosfarcal Avatar for jeffrey Avatar for serendipitoussomnambulist Avatar for dickweed Avatar for tena Avatar for clauscph Avatar for dommyluc Avatar for tsp Avatar for j.dave Avatar for socalista Avatar for thinski

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: