Republican Senator, little Marco Rubio, is making headlines this week for his praise of NFL player Kenny Stills. The controversy surrounding this endorsement stems from Stills’ participation in the NFL national anthem protests last season.
The Florida senator also retweeted one of Stills’ tweets which featured pictures of some of his charity work with his team, the Miami Dolphins.
“You don’t have to agree with how or why he has chosen to exercise the 1st Amendment before every game to acknowledge the hours he gives voluntarily, on his day off, to serve his fellow Americans,” Rubio said in his tweet.
No @NFL player does more community service than @KStills of the @MiamiDolphins. You don’t have to agree with how or why he has chosen to exercise the 1st Amendment before every game to acknowledge the hours he gives voluntarily,on his day off,to serve his fellow Americans. https://t.co/3C7IL4sztP
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) September 12, 2018
As Reported By The Hill:
“Stills was one of just a handful of NFL players who protested during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” over the weekend, which marked the first regular season games of the 2018 season.
Teammate Albert Wilson also took a knee during the Dolphins’ opening game Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, while fellow Dolphin Robert Quinn raised his fist.
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sat out the anthem during the team’s game Monday night.
Each of those players were among the dozens who took a knee, raised a fist or remained in the locker room during the playing of the anthem last season, sparking criticism and debate over the protests.
Rubio has previously defended Colin Kaepernick, who was the first NFL player to take a knee during the anthem to protest police brutality and other social issues. The GOP senator told TMZ Sports in May that Kaepernick, who has remained unsigned since the end of the 2016 season, deserves to be on a team.
“Look, I support his right to stand for what he does. I don’t agree with what he did but I support his right to do it,” Rubio said.
Make no mistake, Rubio’s sudden interest in the kneeling player lines up perfectly with Nike’s endorsement of the man who started it all, Kaepernick. Coincidence? I think not.