President Donald Trump tweeted about the NFL for a fifth consecutive day, this time saying he spoke with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about his desire for players to stand for the national anthem.
"Spoke to Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys yesterday," Trump tweeted early Wednesday morning. "Jerry is a winner who knows how to get things done. Players will stand for Country!"
Messages left by USA TODAY Sports to the Cowboys organization Wednesday morning were not immediately returned.
Spoke to Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys yesterday. Jerry is a winner who knows how to get things done. Players will stand for Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2017
On Monday night, Jones joined Cowboys players in taking a knee before the anthem — in an act of solidarity before their game against the Cardinals in Arizona. Jones and the team then walked to the sideline as the American flag was unfurled and stood, arm-in-arm, during the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Jones, one of at least seven owners who donated to Trump's campaign or inauguration festivities, took his kneeling idea to players shortly before Monday night's game. He was the only NFL owner to kneel, albeit before the anthem.
“There’s no need for us to talk about equality and have 60% of the country mad at you because you’re not perceived to be honoring the flag," Jones said after the game Monday. "That was a way to do both.”
More than 250 players knelt during the national anthem over the weekend as a nod to peaceful protests for racial equality that Colin Kaepernick began last year. The protests were reignited after Trump’s rhetoric at an Alabama rally last Friday, when he used profanity to describe protesting players and called for their firing.
Jones was the only owner not to release a statement in response to Trump's comments but said Monday he wanted the team's "actions to speak louder than words."
Cowboys WR Brice Butler on Tuesday defended Jones and debunked the notion that Jones had banned players from protesting the national anthem.
On Tuesday morning, Trump also tweeted about the Cowboys.
"But while Dallas dropped to its knees as a team, they all stood up for our National Anthem. Big progress being made-we all love our country!"
