President Trump on Monday indicated he plans to allow military academy athletes to get waivers to join professional sports teams upon graduation, deferring their military service.
“I’m going to look at doing a waiver for service academy athletes who can get into the major leagues like the NFL, hockey, baseball. And they will serve their time after they are finished with professional sports,” Trump said.
Trump made the remark in the White House Rose Garden as he hosted the U.S. Army’s West Point college football team, which he presented with the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.
“Can you imagine this incredible coach with that little asset? Because I would imagine that would make recruiting a little bit easier,” Trump said. “I think it’s a great idea. I think it’s really fair too.”
Currently, military academy athletes can apply for a waiver after two years of their five-year military commitment after graduation.
The matter of waivers attracted recent attention after West Point senior tackle Brett Toth emerged as a potential NFL draft pick earlier this year.
Trump has had a rocky relationship with the professional sports community. In 2017, Trump attacked NFL players for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality, urging the ejection of any “son of a bitch” involved.
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