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Donald Trump insists he will not watch the NFL or US Soccer sides if players do not stand during the national anthem. The president has repeatedly opposed kneeling during the anthem since former NFL star Colin Kaepernick took a knee in 2016 to highlight racial inequality. Last week the NFL said its players should be allowed to protest, adding that it was "wrong for not listening" to players earlier while US Soccer also performed a U-turn on its own ban introduced in the wake of Megan Rapinoe kneeling against Thailand four years ago in solidarity with Kaepernick. Republican congressman Matt Gaetz criticised US Soccer's decision, made on Thursday, on social media, and Trump reacted by writing on Twitter: "I won't be watching much any more." Trump added: "And it looks like the NFL is heading in that direction also, but not with me watching." The chances in stances by both the NFL and US Soccer came amid ongoing protests following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man who died in Minneapolis after a white officer knelt on his neck. While several major sports organisations have moved to allow displays of solidarity, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has come under increased pressure to lift its threatened ban on athletes taking a knee, with the Global Athlete movement yesterday saying it would be a breach of human rights. Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter states that "no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas" and the IOC last week confirmed to Telegraph Sport that guidelines banning any form of protest at next year's Tokyo Games "are still in place” although it vowed to open up a dialogue with athletes. A statement by Global Athlete, an international athlete-led movement that aims to inspire change in world sport, read: "The IOC and IPC's (International Paralympic Committee) recent statement that athletes who 'take a knee'... will face bans is a clear breach of human rights. Athletes around the globe were awestruck with this statement and demanded change." Britain's Tokyo-bound athletes were also urged yesterday in an open letter by the British Olympic Association's Athletes' Commission to make their feelings known on issues of racism and inclusivity as hopes grow that a consensus can be reached which will allow them to express themselves at the Games without fearing censure.
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