Donald Trump Talks Colin Kaepernick, Having a 'Hard Time' If Son Played Football

President Donald Trump discussed the prospects of his son, Barron, playing football as well as his thoughts on Colin Kaepernick during a CBS interview prior to the Super Bowl.

The Associated Press (h/t USA Today) shared some of his comments in which he said he "would have a hard time with it" if Barron wanted to play football, calling it a "dangerous sport." He granted he would allow Barron to play if his son wanted to but wouldn't "steer him that way."

Trump was also asked about Kaepernick protesting racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

"I think that people have to, at all times, respect our flag and at all times respect our net- our- our national anthem and our country," he said (h/t Jamil Smith of Rolling Stone). "And I think there are plenty of places and times you can protest and you can do a lot. But you can’t do that. That’s my opinion."

Smith delved further into the president's comments in a Twitter thread and pointed out there was "the lying you may expect" on a number of topics, including Kaepernick. Smith explained Trump ignored Kaepernick's point of view and criticized Trump's claim that he solved the issues the quarterback was raising with his involvement in the First Step Act.

Smith added additional context:

Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times noted the First Step Act is a bipartisan criminal justice bill that "falls short of benchmarks set by a more expansive overhaul proposed in Congress during Barack Obama's presidency" but expands early-release programs and job training in an effort to decrease recidivism and modifies some sentencing laws, particularly for nonviolent drug offenders.

This is far from the first time Trump discussed Kaepernick and the practice of NFL players kneeling during the anthem as a means of protest.

At a 2017 rally in Alabama, he said NFL owners should "get that son of a bitch off the field right now" if one of the players knelt.

Kaepernick threw for 16 touchdowns and four interceptions during the 2016 campaign for the 49ers but hasn't played in the NFL since and filed a grievance against the league's owners for colluding to not sign him.

As for Trump's comments about football being dangerous for his son to play, they stand out when juxtaposed against what he said at the same Alabama rally regarding the NFL instituting rules to prevent concussions and legislate out big hits. Trump claimed the NFL was "ruining the game" at the time when discussing those measures.

The AP report noted President Barack Obama also expressed caution in a 2013 interview when asked if he would let a son play football, saying he would "have to think long and hard."

In the same interview, Trump picked the Patriots to defeat the Rams.

“They have a very special owner and coach, and certainly they have, I guess, the greatest quarterback of all time," Trump said, via Brett Samuels of The Hill. "So I would say they would win. As the expression goes, who knows. I hope it’s a great game."