A man took a knee Tuesday afternoon during the national anthem at President Trump’s “Celebration of America” event at the White House.
Video and photos of the individual kneeling on the South Lawn, while surrounded by other people, were posted to social media.
En man knäböjde under nationalsången på Trumps firande. pic.twitter.com/heTDmuxiUe
— Carina Bergfeldt (@carinabergfeldt) June 5, 2018
The event was held in lieu of a celebration of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl victory after the president rescinded the team’s invitation.
Trump initially claimed the team declined to come because some players disagreed with his insistence “that they proudly stand for the National Anthem.” However, the White House issued a follow-up statement on Tuesday citing scheduling conflicts and lack of interest among the team as its reasons for withdrawing the invitation.
At the event, Trump urged Americans to respect the national anthem.
“We stand to honor our military and to honor our country … and to honor our fallen heroes who never made it back home,” the president said in prepared remarks that lasted just about four minutes. “We stand to pay tribute to the incredible Americans who came before us and the heroic sacrifices they made.”
