Drew Brees Pens Letter to Donald Trump About Anthem Protests: This Has 'Never Been' About the US Flag
New Orleans Saints superstar Drew Brees may want to consider changing positions to defensive back given how quickly he has been backpedaling from controversial comments he made earlier this week.
Brees, who actually plays quarterback for the Saints, became the center of controversy when he spoke out against national anthem protests possibly returning to the NFL this year.
The topic was broached in an interview with Yahoo Finance because of the ongoing protests and riots that have rocked the country following the death of George Floyd.
“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country,” the 41-year-old Brees said.
Highlight: @readdanwrite asks @drewbrees what the star NFL quarterback thinks about “players kneeling again when the NFL season starts.”@drewbrees: “I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country.”
Full exchange: pic.twitter.com/MpCkFyOMed
— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) June 3, 2020
Other athletes, such as Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, as well as the media, immediately pounced on Brees.
The backlash prompted Brees to issue not one, but two apologies on Instagram.
“I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday. In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused,” Brees wrote on Instagram.
One person who thought that Brees shouldn’t have apologized was President Donald Trump, who praised Brees on Twitter but noted that he shouldn’t have apologized for his remarks.
I am a big fan of Drew Brees. I think he’s truly one of the greatest quarterbacks, but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag. OLD GLORY is to be revered, cherished, and flown high…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2020
…We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart. There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag – NO KNEELING!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2020
Trump’s Twitter posts led to Brees to respond yet again, this time in a direct letter to the president posted on Instagram.
“We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.”
Drew Brees wrote a message responding to President Donald Trump’s tweets earlier today. (via @drewbrees) pic.twitter.com/b6VEz3kkyI
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 6, 2020
“Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities,” Brees said in a post that directly tagged Trump’s Instagram account.
“We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform.
“We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history! If not now, then when?
“We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities. We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action. The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us,” Brees said.
Brees’ backtracking on his original anthem comments, which he buttressed by citing his two grandfathers fighting in World War II, falls in line with many NFL players’ renewed interest in social justice in the wake of Floyd’s death.
Brees’ top pass catcher has been particularly vocal about social justice on social media:
“A message on behalf of the nfl” pic.twitter.com/iilDpnZfyV
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) June 5, 2020
While it’s clear how NFL players think about social justice, it will be fascinating to see what type of reaction, good or bad, this draws from their most ardent fans.
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