WASHINGTON — People need to understand why football players are using the national anthem to stage protests, says Sen. Tim Scott, the Senate’s only black Republican.
His view puts him somewhat at odds with President Donald Trump, who has condemned athletes who protest during the national anthem.
Scott, who grew up in poverty in North Charleston, urged compassion. “We should also figure out why people are kneeling so we can have an understanding and an appreciation for what’s happening in those communities that they’re coming from. Communities that I’ve come from,” he said.
Scott had similar suggestions for Trump and others after the deadly white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Va.