Kraft Warned NFL That Trump Would Use Kneeling As Fodder

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft warned NFL players and owners that kneeling during the national anthem before games would be used as fodder by President Donald Trump.

The revelation came in the form of an audio recording of an October meeting between league owners, players and league executives at NFL headquarters obtained by the New York Times. Kraft was the one to address the kneeling issue, which was described as an “elephant in the room.”

“The problem we have is, we have a president who will use that as fodder to do his mission that I don’t feel is in the best interests of America. It’s divisive and it’s horrible,” Kraft, a friend and supporter of the president, said.

Other owners like Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie were worried about the next shot from Trump while Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan believed that the worst damage from Trump was done.

The meeting was organized following comments from Trump at a September rally where he said he would like to see players who kneel before the national anthem fired. That led to large-scale kneeling and teams staying in the locker room during the anthem across the NFL the following Sunday, including at Gillette Stadium, where several players took a knee. The crowd could be heard booing loudly.

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Despite their friendship, Kraft has found himself on the opposite side of issues with the president. Kraft condemned the comments made at the September rally and offered the use of the Patriots team plane to members of the Parkland, Florida community who were going to the "March for our Lives" in Washington D.C.

Read more at the New York Times.

Image Credit: Getty Images/Ronald Martinez