>>> DONALD TRUMP WARNING THE NFL
COMMISSIONER ON ALLOWING PLAYERS
TO KNEEL IN PROTEST TO POLICE
BRUTALITY DURING THE NATIONAL
ANTHEM, WRITING THEY WOULD BE
DISRESPECTING THE COUNTRY AND
THE FLAG.
PRESIDENT TRUMP QUESTIONING
ROGER GOODELL AFTER ADMITTING
THEY WERE PROTESTING PEACEFULLY.
>> WE AT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL
LEAGUE CONDEMN RACISM AND THE
SYSTEMATIC OPPRESSION OF BLACK
PEOPLE.
LISTENING TO NFL PLAYERS EARLIER
AND ENCOURAGE ALL TO SPEAK OUT
AND PEACEFULLY PROTEST.
WE THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
BELIEVE BLACK LIVES MATTER.
>> GOODELL DID NOT MENTION COLIN
KAEPERNICK BY NAME WHO OF COURSE
STARTED THE PROTEST MOVEMENT
FOUR YEARS AGO AND HAS BEEN OUT
OF A JOB SINCE.
IF YOU TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM
THIS HOUR, PLEASE LET IT BE IN.
THIS ISSUE BECAME A NATIONAL
FLASHPOINT WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
CALLING PROTESTING PLAYERS SONS
OF PITCHES.
MIKE PENCE STAGED A WALKOUT AND
IT COST TAXPAYERS 325 GRAND.
I WANT TO EXPLAIN HOW COLIN
KAEPERNICK CAME UP WITH THE IDEA
TO KNEEL.
HE GOT IT AFTER HE CONSULTED
WITH A FORMER GREEN BERET WHO
SERVED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
AND PLAYED FOR THE SEAHAWKS.
A GREEN BERET WHO THOUGHT
KNEELING WOULD BE RESPECTFUL.
HE TOLD KAEPERNICK ABOUT A PHOTO
OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
KNEELING IN PRAYER AND PROTEST
AT SELMA.
HE ALSO REMEMBERED HIMSELF
KNEELING IN ARLINGTON IN
REVERENCE FOR HIS FALLEN
FRIENDS.
I WANT TO BRING IN DONTE
STALLWORTH, FORMER NFL PLAYER AN
ACTIVIST AT THE PROTEST MONDAY
THAT WAS BROKEN UP BY OFFICIALS.
I WANT TO START THERE.
COLIN KAEPERNICK KNEELING WAS
NOT ABOUT TRASHING THE MILITARY,
OUR FLAG OR THE COUNTRY, BUT THE
PRESIDENT WARPED THE TRUTH AND
CREATED THIS DIVIDE.
NOW HERE HE IS THREATENING ROGER
GOODELL.
>> YEAH.
IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE.
I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST
ISSUES GOING INTO THIS IS THAT
THAT, WHAT YOU SAID, STEPHANIE,
HAS BEEN LOST AMONG THE ENTIRE
CONVERSATION THE LAST THREE
YEARS.
EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT KNEELING
IS DISRESPECTFUL AND ALL THIS,
THEY DON’T TALK ABOUT WHERE HE
GOT THE IDEA, WHO SUGGESTED THAT
TO HIM, WHOSE LEADERSHIP HE
SOUGHT OUT TO ACTUALLY COME UP
WITH THE WAY TO BECOME, TO NOT
BE SEEN AS DISRESPECTFUL.
IN THIS COUNTRY FOR FAR TOO MANY
AMERICANS, POLICE BRUTALITY HAS
BEEN AN ABSTRACT CONCEPT, FOR
FAR TOO MANY OTHERS IT HAS BEEN
A STARK REALITY.
SO PLAYERS HAVE KNOWN THAT, WE
HAVE GROWN UP IN THESE
COMMUNITIES, HAVE FRIENDS AND
FAMILIES THAT GREW UP IN
COMMUNITIES WHERE POLICE
BRUTALITY IS THE NORM OR THEY
EXPERIENCED IT FIRSTHAND AT SOME
POINT.
FOR THE PRESIDENT TO COME IN AND
DIVIDE, MAKE A CULTURE WAR, TRY
TO DIVIDE EVERYONE, BUT I THINK
A LOT OF PEOPLE DID A GOOD JOB
TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THAT
ISSUE, ALTHOUGH THE PRESIDENT
HAS THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH BEHIND
HIM WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF
OTHER THINGS HE CAN DO, WHERE HE
WENT TO OTHER COUNTRIES AND
SPOKE ABOUT THIS, AND DOMESTIC
POLICY, BUT PLAYERS FOUGHT
FORWARD.
AS I SAID BACK THEN THREE YEARS
AGO, HISTORY WILL VALIDATE COLIN
KAEPERNICK.
AND I THINK IT HAS.
IT HAS SHOWN WHAT WE’VE ALL BEEN
DISCUSSING FOR THE LAST THREE
YEARS, IT HAS SHOWN THE FRUITS
OF ALL THAT BOILING TO THE TOP
OF THIS, IN CONCERT WITH US
DEALING WITH THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC
WITH CORONAVIRUS.
>> BUT THREE YEARS AGO AND TODAY
ROGER GOODELL, THE LEAGUE, THE
OWNERS, THEY KNEW THE MEANING OF
TAKING A KNEE AND THEY DIDN’T
STAND WITH KAEPERNICK.
TODAY JOURNALIST JAMAL HILL SAYS
SHE DOESN’T BUY GOODELL’S
APOLOGY.
THE NFL IS SUDDENLY WORRIED
ABOUT BLACK LIVES NOW.
BUT WHEN THE LEAGUE HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON THE RIGHT
SIDE OF HISTORY, IT CHOSE THE
COWARD’S PATH.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION, GIVEN ALL
THIS INFORMATION?
>> YEAH, I AGREE.
I THINK THAT THEY HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY BUT THEY INSTEAD
CHOSE TO STAND WITH THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
AGAINST ITS OWN PLAYERS, WHICH
IS ESSENTIALLY THREE-QUARTERS OF
THE NFL.
I WAS GLAD TO SEE PLAYERS COME
OUT --
>> DO YOU BELIEVE THEM NOW?
>> WORDS AREN’T GOOD FOR A START
WHAT KIND OF ALLY WILL YOU BE.
IS IT GOING TO BE STANDING IN
FRONT OF THE NFL PLAYERS, USING
YOURSELF AND THE NFL BRAND,
SHIELD AS WE CALL IT, USING THE
SHIELD TO SHIELD THE PLAYERS
FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
THAT’S WHAT THE PLAYERS SHOULD
HAVE HAD THREE YEARS AGO AND
THEY DIDN’T GET IT FROM ANYONE
IN THE NFL EXCEPT FOR THE
PLAYERS.
>> BEFORE WE GO, I WANT TO ASK
YOU ABOUT BILL BARR’S STATEMENT
ABOUT WHAT WENT ON IN LAFAYETTE
PARK LAST WEEK.
YOU WERE THERE.
HE SAID IT WAS NORMAL.
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT’S RESPONSE
WAS RESPONDING TO SOME VIOLENT
OUTBREAKS.
WAS THAT THE CASE?
>> NO, NOT AT ALL.
I WAS THERE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF JOURNALISTS
THERE, A LOT OF VIDEO OF NOTHING
HAPPENING BEFORE, CHANLTTING
NIECE, AND TAKE A KNEE.
MOSTLY U.S. PARK SERVICE WHERE
THEY CAME OUT, STARTED SWINGING
SHIELDS AND BATONS, USING
CHEMICAL AGENTS TO DISPERSE THE
CROWD.
ACTUALLY THE VIDEO YOU’RE
SHOWING, I’M LITERALLY TO THE
LEFT OF THAT JUST OUT OF VIEW.
I’M RIGHT THERE.
AND ALL THE REPORTERS SAID THEY
USED CHEMICAL AGENTS, SWINGING
SHIELDS AND BATONS, IT IS ON
CAMERA.
I DON’T KNOW YOU CAN REFUTE THAT
AND THAT BE OKAY.
WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
TO ME THAT’S ABSURD.
>> WELL, DONTE, THE ONLY THING
YOU CAN DO IS KEEP TELLING THE
TRUTH.