Vice President Mike Pence left the Indianapolis Colts’ game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday after players protested police brutality during the national anthem.
Now Pence has shared a photo of himself standing during the anthem. In the caption, he also put the blame for his departure on the 49ers. He said all the Colts stood for the anthem.
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“We were proud to stand – with all our Colts – for our soldiers, our flag, and our National Anthem,” he wrote.
We were proud to stand – with all our @Colts – for our soldiers, our flag, and our National Anthem 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/mkZiKMkPDD
— Vice President Pence (@VP) October 8, 2017
Pence had a statement ready to issue as soon as he left the game.
“I left today’s Colts game because POTUS and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem,” he wrote. “At a time when so many Americans are inspiring our nation with their courage, resolve, and resilience, now, more than ever, we should rally around our Flag and everything that unites us.
“While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I don’t think it’s too much to ask NFL players to respect the Flag and our National Anthem.”
The 49ers famously began the protests in 2016 when former player Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the pre-game performance of the national anthem to protest police brutality.
Pence’s action reignites the debate over the anthem protests, which came to a head a few weeks ago when President Donald Trump called protesting players “son of a b—-es.”
Trump’s remarks elicited a strong reaction from players, coaches and owners. Numerous players kneeled after Trump’s comments, and other locked arms as a sign of solidarity with protesters.
