Trump: Those Who Kneel For National Anthem ‘Shouldn’t Be In The Country’

GOLDEN, CO - OCTOBER 29: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump addresses a campaign rally in the Rodeo Arena at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds October 29, 2016 in Golden, Colorado. The Federal Bureau of Inv... GOLDEN, CO - OCTOBER 29: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump addresses a campaign rally in the Rodeo Arena at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds October 29, 2016 in Golden, Colorado. The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced Friday it discovered emails pertinent to the closed investigation of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's private email server and are looking to see if they improperly contained classified information. Trump said "I think it's the biggest story since Watergate." (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE LESS

May 24, 2018 8:14 a.m.

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President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that “maybe” the NFL players who don’t stand for the National Anthem “shouldn’t be in the country,” further cementing his tirade against the NFL and players who took a knee during the “Star Spangled Banner” at games to protest police brutality.

“You have to stand proudly for the National Anthem or you shouldn’t be playing,” he told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade in an interview broadcast Thursday morning. “You shouldn’t be there. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country. You have to stand proudly for the National Anthem. And the NFL owners did the right thing if that’s what they have done.”

Trump: "maybe" people who don't stand for the National Anthem "shouldn't be in the country." pic.twitter.com/vUaFlO5NNv

— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) May 24, 2018

While many deemed the policy change a victory for Trump and his perpetual Twitter diatribes on the subject, Trump wouldn’t take full credit.

“I think the people pushed it forward,” he said. “This was not me. I brought it out. I think the people pushed it forward. This country is very smart. We have a very smart country.”

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Nicole Lafond (@Nicole_Lafond) is TPM’s deputy editor, based in New York. She has also worked as the special projects editor and as a senior newswriter for TPM. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and previously covered education in central Illinois.

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