New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft has called Donald Trump a friend for a long time. Kraft is one of the rare people who even vouch for Trump’s compassion and caring, telling a story about how the pre-presidential Trump used to call him often to check on his well-being after Kraft lost his wife in 2011. The gesture touched Kraft, and put him squarely behind Trump when the latter transitioned from media/business star to politician. But in the wake of Trump’s tempestuous rhetoric objecting to NFL players protests centered on the national anthem, Kraft has advice for his friend POTUS. Learn from these athletes, don’t disparage them.
Kraft’s statement said: “I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President on Friday. I am proud to be associated with so many players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting our communities. Their efforts, both on and off the field, help bring people together and make our community stronger. There is no greater unifier in this country than sports, and unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics. I think our political leaders could learn a lot from the lessons of teamwork and the importance of working together toward a common goal. Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community and I support their right to peacefully affect social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is most impactful.”
