Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills has talked to Stephen Ross about his recent criticism of the team owner, and the pair have agreed to disagree about President Donald Trump. As he explained to reporters following joint practices between the Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Stills doesn’t agree with the decision that Ross made to host a fundraising event for Trump, and he felt it was necessary to voice his concerns.
“There’s not much to argue about,” Stills said, according to the Palm Beach Post. “He has his feelings about it and he stands firm in that, and I respect that. But I disagree and I told him there’s no hard feelings. There’s no beef and let’s win some games this year.”
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Last week, Stills called out Dolphins owner Stephen Ross for hosting a fundraising dinner to support Trump’s re-election bid. Stills responded to the event with a message on Twitter that read, “You can’t have a nonprofit with this mission statement then open your doors to Trump.” In response, he received numerous death threats. Head coach Brian Flores also publicly stated that he wished Stills had kept the issue between him and Ross.
Despite concerns from Stills, the event in The Hamptons continued as planned and raised a considerable amount of money for Trump. The Republican National Committee said that two fundraisers that night, including the one at Ross’ residence, raised $12 million.
In the time following Stills’ post on Twitter, Ross released a statement saying that he has known Trump for over 40 years and that the pair disagree on many matters. This explanation didn’t satisfy Stills, who said that he doesn’t believe “you can play both sides.”
With his concerns made public, Stills will now focus on the 2019 campaign and how he can help the Dolphins return to the playoffs. However, that doesn’t mean that he is done making a statement about racial inequality. Stills will continue to kneel during the National Anthem, and he has stepped away from Ross’ nonprofit, the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality.
