White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday that the NFL took a “step in the right direction” by publicly calling on its players to stand during the national anthem amid a wave of controversial anthem protests.
“I think it’s certainly a step in the right direction,” Sanders told reporters at the White House shortly after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference stating the league wants all players to stand during the national anthem.
Goodell stopped short of announcing changes to the rules that would ban kneeling during the national anthem, however.
“As we’ve said many times before, the president supports standing for the national anthem” and honoring the flag, Sanders said Wednesday.
Trump has repeatedly railed against NFL players who kneel during the national anthem in order to protest racial inequality. The protests have become a cultural flashpoint, and the league has moved to quiet the controversy surrounding the demonstrations without stripping players of their free speech rights.
