A new poll found that a majority thinks professional athletes should use their platforms to express their views, and a smaller majority says it’s appropriate for them to kneel during the national anthem.
The Washington Post poll released on Thursday, kickoff day for the new NFL season, found that 62% of adults surveyed said that athletes should use their public platforms to express their beliefs. There is a divide between Democrats and Republicans, with 80% of Democrats expressing support versus 43% of Republicans. There was also an age gap, with 70% of people under 50 years old agreeing versus 45% of those 65 or older.
The poll also found that 56% of adults find it “appropriate” for athletes to kneel during the national anthem to demonstrate against racial inequality. The poll, which has been conducted in the past, saw support for the movement grow since the Memorial Day death of George Floyd in police custody.
When the question was asked in August 2018, only 43% thought it was appropriate, and 54% did not find it appropriate for athletes to kneel. In July of this year, 52% said they agreed that it was appropriate versus 45% who did not agree.
The poll was conducted from Sept. 1 to Sept. 6 and surveyed 1,001 U.S. adult voters. It has a 3.5-point margin of error.
President Trump and others have repeatedly railed against athletes kneeling during the anthem, claiming the demonstration is disrespectful to the flag and people who serve in the military. Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, spurred the movement of players taking a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice during the 2016 season. Since then, other athletes across different sports have followed suit.
The NFL backtracked on its position about kneeling following the nationwide protests after Floyd’s death, with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell releasing a video apologizing “for not listening to NFL players earlier.”
