The biggest message to come out of President Trump’s Friday rally in Alabama had nothing to do with its intended purpose of helping out Sen. Luther Strange. 
 
 The president urging NFL owners to “get that son of a bitch off the field right now” if any of their players take a knee during the national anthem immediately inflamed one of the biggest battles in America’s culture war. 
 
 Ever since then-San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick started taking a knee when the anthem played last season, Americans have argued fiercely on the merits of this particular brand of protest. 
 
 Conservatives have seen it as outrageous disrespect for the troops and the nation itself. Liberals and ESPN have portrayed it as a courageous act of defiance against racism and police brutality. 
 
 The debate hasn’t gone away this season, with more players participating in the protest while Kaepernick remains unemployed. 
 
 Trump has spent most of the weekend doubling down on his comments, as well as bringing the NBA into the matter, in the face of liberal outrage. The president’s opinion brought forth accusations that he was trying to take away the constitutional rights of Americans and that his sentiment was racist by nature. 
 
 In response to the president attacks, dozens of NFL players publicly criticized the president and joined in the anthem protests on Sunday. As one example, multiple players from both the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars took the knee while the anthem played during their game in London. Curiously, they all stood for “God Save the Queen.” 
 
 Several commentators, primarily from the Left, saw more players joining the protest as a major defeat for the president, but they’re off the mark. Folks like New York magazine’s Jonathan Chait think that Trump has turned the kneel into a free speech issue, which is going to naturally earn the sympathy of average Americans. 
 
 In reality, Trump has taken the side of the flag and provoked multi-millionaire athletes into opposing patriotism. When several players for the New England Patriots took a knee during the anthem on Sunday, their own fans booed them. So do fans of the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins when members of those respective teams knelt. (RELATED: Football Fans Boo Players Protesting National Anthem) 
 
 There are hardly two more liberal, anti-Trump areas in America than the Boston and D.C. metropolitan areas. Yet even football fans who live there can’t stand protests against the anthem. 
 
 Rather than earning sympathy for free speech, more players joining in the protest is more likely to alienate NFL fans from the game. Polling last year showed that an overwhelming majority of Americans thought that politics should be kept off the field. The number one reason for declining NFL ratings was due to national anthem protests, according to ESPN, of all places. 
 
 Hardcore Patriots fans booing their own team is not a good sign that the NFL is going to come out on top in its war with the president. 
 
 Trump’s involvement in the debate over national anthem protests shows him once again stepping into his kind of cultural war. No longer tied to religious or moral concerns, Trump’s forays into the culture war typically revolve around questions of national identity and pit middle Americans against various elites. 
 
 During his presidential campaign, Trump’s hardline views on immigration and the Muslim ban earned him unprecedented scorn from the media and political elites, but also support and votes from Republican voters. More recently, Trump faced a barrage of anger over his comments on the violence in Charlottesville, Va. where he blamed “both sides” and issued his support for Confederate statues. (RELATED: Trump’s Culture War) 
 
 Those statements earned him extreme opprobrium from political leaders in both parties, nearly all of Hollywood and the establishment media. Yet, polling showed a majority of Americans agreed with his comments, especially in regards to the statues. (RELATED: Poll: Clear Majority Want To Keep Confederate Statues) 
 
 In the fight over kneeling, Trump is facing off against out-of-touch athletes who appear to be opposing the flag and the troops. ESPN and most political pundits may think he is a dummy for engaging in this fight, but if NFL continues to lose fans over it, Trump will come out as the victor. 
 
 There is the other issue of whether the President of the United States should even be involving himself in such a matter, regardless of whether it will be to his advantage or not. In years past, the answer would have been a “no” to the question of whether it was presidential behavior. 
 
 But we increasingly expect our president to take sides in these cultural battles. Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama frequently weighed in on such topics as the name of the Redskins and Kaepernick taking a knee, albeit in a much more subdued manner. 
 
 Trump is embracing his status as an Oval Office cultural warrior to a much greater degree than Obama, for some good reason. His legislative agenda is almost entirely stalled, and he has little to show in terms of accomplishments for his base. In fact, the only thing he might accomplish legislatively this year is giving millions of illegal aliens legal status in exchange for nothing. 
 
 Fighting in the culture war on behalf of his base is the one area where Trump can do as he pleases. He doesn’t have to go through Congress to reduce the ratings of the NFL, he just needs a few tweets to do so. 
 
 At the same time, the culture is getting weaponized at unimaginable level against the president and his supporters by elites. Every awards show now resembles a Resistance rally where each speaker makes sure to bash Trump and red state America. Late night talk shows act more as venting chambers for liberal resentment than light-hearted comedy. A large number of celebrities dedicate their social media accounts almost entirely to politics and hating on Trump. 
 
 Last week saw a new height for our new, politicized culture. A bunch of Hollywood A-listers such as Morgan Freeman and Rob Reiner got together to promote an initiative to make the public believe Russia hacked the election and we’re at war with Vladimir Putin. (RELATED: Hollywood Liberals Team Up With Iraq War Hawks To ‘Protect Democracy’ Against Russia) 
 
 The GOP’s latest attempt to repeal Obamacare found its greatest foe not among the Democrats, but with late night host Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel spent most of his opening monologues this week attacking Republicans for their bill and regurgitating talking points given to him by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. (RELATED: Chuck Schumer Coached Jimmy Kimmel Behind The Scenes On How To Oppose Obamacare Repeal) 
 
 The comic’s advocacy earned him plaudits from the media and he was able to get the message of the bill’s opponents out to the general public. It’s possible that the cultural elites’ intense rejection of the latest Obamacare repeal encouraged Arizona Sen. John McCain to say he would vote against it. 
 
 With the cultural elite declaring total war on Trump and his agenda thwarted in part by their efforts, Trump may have no other choice than to spend his term fighting various battles of the culture war. 
 
 His voters would probably prefer that option to a legislative agenda comprised entirely of amnesty for illegals and tax cuts for billionaires. 
 
 WATCH THIS: MAJORITY OF STEELERS PLAYERS REMAIN IN LOCKER ROOM DURING NATIONAL ANTHEM 
 
 WATCH DAILY CALLER BREAKDOWN THE NET-WORTH OF THE KNEELERS: 
 
 
 
 Follow Scott on Twitter and buy his new book, “No Campus for White Men.” ||||| CLOSE After Donald Trump said NFL players should be fired for kneeling during the national anthem, NFL players, owners and coaches condemned Trump's comments. USA TODAY Sports 
 
 Attacking #TakeTheKnee and First Amendment has nothing to do with patriotism or love of country: Our view 
 
 The Cleveland Browns during the national anthem on Sept. 24, 2017, in Indianapolis. (Photo: Andy Lyons, Getty Images) 
 
 The outpouring of defiance toward President Trump that spread across the National Football League on Sunday harkens to a single phrase directed at fear-mongering Sen. Joe McCarthy during a congressional hearing in 1954. 
 
 "Have you no sense of decency, sir?" said an Army lawyer, crystallizing in a moment the politics of division behind McCarthyism and its persecution of innocents. 
 
 Similarly, Trump's ad hominem attacks against "son of a bitch" players such as former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sit or kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality, had nothing to do with patriotism or love of country. When he demanded NFL owners fire protesting players, it was vintage Trump stoking flames of anger and resentment. 
 
 OPPOSING VIEW: Good call, Mr. President 
 
 Why did the president do it now, when the #TakeTheKnee movement seemed to be waning? Who knows? Maybe he was trying to whip up his core supporters. Or maybe it's his latest effort to employ a weapon of mass distraction. Why focus on a likely loss on Obamacare repeal, or a possible loss for your favored candidate in the Alabama Republican Senate runoff, when you can try to stir public resentment of a pampered athletic elite? 
 
 The president, after all, has such a keen eye for ways to divide people, as he has demonstrated with the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., his dissing of undocumented immigrants, his travel ban focused on Muslim-majority nations, and his effort to excise transgender troops from the military. 
 
 Plus, this NFL controversy would be delicious payback. Trump for decades tried to earn a seat at the NFL owners' table, but his bids for the New England Patriots in 1988 and the Buffalo Bills in 2014 fell short. The anthem protest issue was such a ripe wedge issue. Nearly three in four Americans said they thought it was unpatriotic last year, and the protests led reasons why some viewers have stopped watching NFL games. 
 
 The only problem is that professional athletes and team owners alike recognized Trump's crude move for the ruse that it is: "With everything that's going on in our country, why are YOU focused on who's kneeling?" NBA star Chris Paul tweeted. 
 
 CLOSE AP reporters counted more than 200 NFL players who did not stand during the national anthem before their games on Sunday. Six refused to stand the week before, mainly protesting police brutality. AP 
 
 As of Sunday afternoon, players from more than a dozen football teams had chosen to stay seated, lock arms, or take a knee during the anthem. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell admonished Trump on Saturday for being divisive. Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a Trump friend and financial backer, said he was "deeply disappointed" by the president. Jaguars owner Shahid Khan joined his players and coaches in protest, as did the owners of the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. The Pittsburgh Steelers stayed off the field during the song. 
 
 An epidemic of impertinence? Not at all. Rather, it was an audacious rejection of Trump's divisive ploy. 
 
 Allowing someone the right to dissent peacefully is part of the nation's patriotic tradition. Using the bully pulpit of the presidency to rain aspersions down on someone who dares to do so is simply indecent. 
 
 USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate from the news staff. Most editorials are coupled with an opposing view — a unique USA TODAY feature. 
 
 To read more editorials, go to the Opinion front page or sign up for the daily Opinion email newsletter. To respond to this editorial, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. 
 
 If you can't see this reader poll, please refresh your page. 
 
 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2xtuH78 ||||| (CNN) Colin Kaepernick's legal team is expected to seek subpoenas for President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other campaign officials relating to the quarterback's collusion case against the NFL, a source familiar with the ongoing grievance process has told CNN. 
 
 The new move intends to explore NFL owners' ties with Trump, the source said, adding that several owners, as well as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, have already been deposed in the case. 
 
 Brian McCarthy, a spokesman for the NFL, said the league had no comment. The expected move was earlier reported by Yahoo! Sports 
 
 Kaepernick ignited a controversy back in 2016 when he refused to stand during the National Anthem, protesting what he believes are racial injustices and ongoing police brutality in the US. He opted out of his contract with the 49ers last year and became a free agent, but no NFL team has signed him. He filed a grievance against the NFL in October, claiming teams are colluding to deny him a job. 
 
 The anthem controversy, meanwhile, has ignited a racially sensitive national debate over free speech, pitting mostly black athletes against white NFL owners, and Trump has seized on the issue to energize his political base 
 
 At a rally in Louisville, Kentucky, last year, Trump switched gears from talking about the nation's urban communities to calling out the quarterback. 
 
 "It was reported that NFL owners don't want to pick him up because they don't want to get a nasty tweet from Donald Trump," he said. "Do you believe that?" 
 
 Trump also has called out the NFL multiple times over the anthem controversy. He canceled the traditional visit by the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles earlier this week, initially claiming that the decision was due to players not standing for the anthem, though the White House later acknowledged that low expected attendance by team members was a key factor. 
 
 Pence left an October NFL game between the 49ers and Colts in Indianapolis after some players knelt during the National Anthem, saying on Twitter at the time that he would not "dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem." 
 
 Last month, NFL team owners decided that players must stand during the National Anthem this season, a reaction to fierce backlash against some who took a knee in symbolic opposition to what they view as the systemic oppression of people of color, including by police. 
 
 Goodell said teams whose players and personnel do not stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem will be fined by the league. Each team, however, may develop its own work rules for those who don't comply with the policy, which allows players the option of remaining in the locker room during the playing of the anthem if they do not wish to comply. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why America's sports stars are taking a knee 
 
 President Donald Trump's swipes at the National Football League players' protests were nestled in the middle of a nearly hour-and-half-long speech at a rally in Alabama. 
 
 The crowd cheered enthusiastically - as they did for his taunts directed at Hillary Clinton, Kim Jong-Un and Senator John McCain, and boasts about his election victory and the beautiful, see-through wall he will build along the US-Mexico border. 
 
 It was the NFL comments that gained traction, however, sparking outrage and condemnation from sports stars and franchise owners. NFL games on Sunday were the setting for dozens of player protests of various kinds. 
 
 Meanwhile the president, as is his habit when challenged, leaned in to the controversy, firing off a flurry of tweets on the topic. 
 
 "NFL attendance and ratings are WAY DOWN," read one presidential missive. "Boring games yes, but many stay away because they love our country. League should back US." 
 
 The president seems almost to take pleasure in fanning the flames of controversy, going so far as to call for a boycott of the US's most popular sports league. 
 
 But why? Here are a few possibilities. 
 
 It's strategic 
 
 Things have been rough for the president recently. 
 
 Once again it appears that Congress is going to be unable to repeal and replace Obamacare health insurance reforms, despite the president's assurances that doing so would be "easy". 
 
 That transparent wall he touted? It currently seems more likely that the president will strike a deal with Democrats to enshrine protections for undocumented immigrants who entered the US as children - a move anathema to portions of his conservative base - than get funding from Congress to build the border barrier. 
 
 The candidate the president was in Alabama to boost, Senator Luther Strange, could go down to defeat on Tuesday, representing an embarrassing rebuke to the president from his most loyal supporters. 
 
 His approval ratings may be climbing, but there's been a lot of bad news recently - and more could be coming. 
 
 So what better way to change the subject than to restart a highly charged cultural debate about the appropriateness of political protests against the national anthem; one that allows the president, much to the delight of his base, to sing the praises of the US military and wrap himself tightly in the red, white and blue? 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images 
 
 It's personal 
 
 Before Donald Trump was a politician or even a reality television star, he was a professional football owner. The league was the star-crossed USFL in the mid-1980s, and the team was the New Jersey Generals. 
 
 Then real-estate magnate Trump bought the team in 1984 and helped encourage the USFL, which was then playing its games in the spring, to move to the autumn, where it would go head-to-head with the NFL. 
 
 The NFL crushed the fledgling USFL. Mr Trump unsuccessfully tried to sue the larger league for antitrust violations, many teams went bankrupt, and the USFL eventually folded. 
 
 Fast forward to 2014, and Mr Trump had another run-in with the NFL, when he tried to buy the Buffalo Bills team. He was outbid by an energy-sector billionaire and - in a move that should now be quite familiar - took to Twitter to vent his anger. 
 
 "Even though I refused to pay a ridiculous price for the Buffalo Bills, I would have produced a winner," he tweeted. "Now that won't happen." 
 
 He also called NFL games "boring" and "too soft", adding that he was glad the deal didn't go through. 
 
 In other words, Mr Trump has a longstanding grudge against the NFL - and if there's one thing we know about the president, it's that he likes to settle old scores. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Some of the Detroit Lions dropped to their knee on Sunday 
 
 It's impulsive 
 
 When talking about Donald Trump's actions, it's often tempting to find order where only chaos exists; to ascribe grand schemes when there's an easier, simpler explanation. 
 
 The president isn't playing three-dimensional chess and devising plans within plans. 
 
 With his NFL outburst, the president could once again be reacting to events, not directing them. On Friday night he gave a long speech filled with everything that was bubbling through his mind at that particular moment. 
 
 If the media had focused on his dismissal of the Russia investigation as a hoax or his insistence that winning the popular vote in the presidential election last year would have been easy if he had tried, then that's what the president would have spent the weekend tweeting about. 
 
 Instead, here we are, on day four of a furore over players kneeling and flags flying, free speech protections and employee obligations. 
 
 If there is no grand strategy, then modern American politics is like a spinning top. There's no way of telling where it's going to go next. ||||| SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- More than a year since San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid and former quarterback Colin Kaepernick first began kneeling during the national anthem as a silent protest of racial inequality in the United States, they believe that their original message has been lost in translation. 
 
 As nearly every team in the NFL had players participating in some form of protest on the heels of President Donald Trump's comments about NFL players kneeling during the anthem, Reid and Kaepernick wondered what would have happened had more players joined their cause sooner. Editor's Picks Broncos' Marshall says Kaepernick 'ready to go' Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall says he appreciates NFL teams supporting the rights of their players to protest during the national anthem. He also suggests they show it by giving Colin Kaepernick a job. 
 
 Sherman: Wilson had 'epiphany' over Trump Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman touted Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson's reaction over President Donald Trump's criticism of NFL players who protest, saying it made him "incredibly proud." 
 
 Trump: NFL's biz 'going to hell' without changes President Donald Trump said Wednesday that protests during the national anthem will harm the NFL's business, saying he thinks the league is in "a really bad box." 2 Related 
 
 "He thinks that [the weekend's protest] was a direct response to, obviously, what the president said," Reid said. "He wishes that this many people were involved last year. I don't think the narrative would have went in as many directions as it went if we had more solidarity. We could have focused in on these issues, but we have got to be pragmatic about it. We have this opportunity now, and it's important that we discuss the issues and make changes." 
 
 After Trump made his initial comments Friday night, teams began releasing statements from their owners all day Saturday and devising different ways to voice their displeasure Sunday. 
 
 Some teams, including the Steelers, Seahawks and Titans, did not come out of the locker room for the national anthem, with Pittsburgh saying Monday that the goal was to avoid making a political statement, not an act of protest. 
 
 The Niners, who had already played Thursday night before Trump's Friday night comments, have had discussions about potential demonstrations before Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. 
 
 Coach Kyle Shanahan met with his team and leadership council Monday and said Wednesday the team intends to do "something together" this week, though they hadn't yet decided what form that will take. 
 
 Eric Reid, left, and Colin Kaepernick kneel in protest of racial inequality before a 49ers game last season. Reid believes the goal of Kaepernick's actions has been lost in the most recent anthem protests. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images 
 
 Many organizations opted to link arms, with some owners even joining the players and coaches on the field in a sign of unity. While players such as Reid and Arizona safety Antoine Bethea appreciated the team-focused protests, there was also some concern that those displays focused on unity had obscured the original protests' intent. 
 
 "Don't get me wrong, linking arms is a great thing," Bethea, who held up his right fist during the anthem while standing next to Kaepernick and Reid for some games last year, said. "We do want to be unified. At the end of the day, unity is going to help bring us together, but I do think that sometimes, you lose what the point [is] that people are trying to get across when people are taking that peaceful protest. I do believe that. 
 
 "It's a tough situation. It's kind of like a damned if you do, damned if you don't, you know what I'm saying? Trust me, it's a tough situation. This is a team sport, and, at times, you don't want to single yourself out and be that individual. But then you are fighting with the things of 'What do you really believe in?' ... Either way you look at it, there's going to be people praising you, and it's going to be people coming at you with a negative tone. That's what I've seen since last year." 
 
 Reid, who is currently dealing with a left knee injury and normally wouldn't be made available to speak while injured, talked to the Bay Area media for about 20 minutes Wednesday. In that discussion, he hit on a variety of topics and attempted to steer the conversation toward the issues that he and Kaepernick first wanted to address as well as what he hopes will come next. 
 
 Throughout the course of the session, Reid repeatedly referred to notes he had on his phone from friend Clint Smith, a writer, teacher and Ph.D. candidate at Harvard, who has focused his research on mass incarcerations, the sociology of racism and the history of inequality in the U.S. 
 
 Among the topics Reid specifically addressed were police brutality, social injustice, the bail system and the importance of local government elections, specifically with district attorneys. Along the way, he retraced the steps of inequality starting with the Great Depression through the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, respectively. 
 
 Reid went on to point out that he believes making changes in the areas he and Kaepernick first started protesting starts with education on those topics, followed by conversations about them. 
 
 "I think these conversations make people uncomfortable, and I think that's a way for them to deflect from the issues that we really want to talk about and steer the narrative in a different direction," Reid said. "And so, my goal is to do a better job this time around of controlling the narrative, talking about the issues, which I hope we can talk about today and getting people to understand why we're doing it, because these issues are real." 
 
 Asked who he believes the leader for that movement is, Reid said Kaepernick is "without a doubt." Kaepernick remains unsigned after parting ways with the Niners in March but has continued his charitable donations and work in the community, such as his "Know Your Rights" camps. 
 
 Reid, along with teammates Marquise Goodwin and Dontae Johnson, will be featured in a video by racial justice group Color Of Change supporting Kaepernick. 
 
 One thing Kaepernick hasn't done is speak publicly since the end of the 2016 season, something Reid said he would like to see even if he doesn't know when that might happen. 
 
 "I have spoken to him a lot over the past couple of weeks, so I'm not sure," Reid said. "He hasn't given me an answer to that. I'll ask him again, but I'm hoping that he does say something." 
 
 From there, Reid is hoping that athletes from various sports can use their platforms to continue to push toward change on the actual issues rather than worrying about the methodology of protest. 
 
 When Reid and Kaepernick first began protesting last year, about 80 players began a group text exchange that allowed them to swap ideas on ways not only to protest but also to get into their communities and begin making a difference at a grassroots level. 
 
 According to Reid, that exchange became too much to handle for the players, but there is still open dialogue between players of all teams on a more individual basis. 
 
 Reid said he has been in touch with Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins about the work he has done with criminal justice reform, and the pair is trying to set up an event focusing on that in San Francisco in the near future. 
 
 Those are the small things Reid and Kaepernick are hoping can eventually add up to making a big impact, even if the results aren't instant. 
 
 "It's a long journey to get these issues corrected. Like I said, it's decades on top of decades, and to get things fixed is going to take a long time," Reid said. "It's going to take people that really care about the situation, take people that want to have these uncomfortable situations, so I hope we can move on. That's the next step, is moving on to making changes, and I hope that we can get some change out of that." ||||| The ad includes a photo with Trump, hand over his heart, and a #TakeAStandNotAKnee hashtag. It follows Trump’s recent remarks, first delivered during a Friday night speech in Alabama, aimed at football players who have protested police brutality and other causes. 
 
 “Turn off the NFL,” reads a digital ad produced by the nonprofit America First Policies, which planned to begin spreading the message on social media Sunday afternoon. 
 
 A political group with close ties to President Donald Trump is amplifying his attack on professional athletes who kneel during the national anthem as a form of protest. 
 
 While campaigning for Luther Strange, who is locked in a tough Republican primary to keep the Alabama Senate seat he was appointed to earlier this year, Trump asked those in the audience if they would "love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'get that son of a bitch off the field right now.'" He added that such players should be fired. 
 
 Trump continued the attack over the weekend on Twitter. 
 
 “If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL, or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect … our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem,” Trump posted in a series of tweets. "If not, YOU'RE FIRED. Find something else to do!” 
 
 NFL team owners and players reacted strongly and disapprovingly to Trump’s push. “Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Saturday. 
 
 A draft of a Facebook version of the ad shared with BuzzFeed News included the text: “Rather than watch the NFL disrespect our country … turn on something that honors the great men and women who make sacrifices to protect our freedom and what our Great American Flag stands for. Thank you to our great Veterans!” 
 
 America First Policies has typically backed Trump by supporting his policy agenda or his preferred candidates. The group recently spent money to boost Strange in Alabama.
– NFL players' reaction to President Trump in regard to the national anthem was, not surprisingly, a big topic on Monday's op-ed pages. Here's a sampling: Wall Street Journal: The newspaper's editorial sounds fed up with everybody involved, blaming the left for initially exploiting the Colin Kaepernick situation, then Trump for exploiting the blowback. It adds that players who kneel shouldn't be surprised to hear boos, because "disrespecting the national anthem puts partisanship above a symbol of nationhood that thousands have died for." But ultimately, the real losers in all this "are the millions of Americans who would rather cheer for their teams on Sunday as a respite from work and the other divisions of American life." Daily Caller: In a column, Scott Greer writes that Trump seems to be relishing his role as an "Oval Office culture warrior," perhaps because his legislative agenda keeps hitting roadblocks. This fight may pay off: "In the fight over kneeling, Trump is facing off against out-of-touch athletes who appear to be opposing the flag and the troops. ESPN and most political pundits may think he is a dummy for engaging in this fight, but if [the] NFL continues to lose fans over it, Trump will come out as the victor." New York Times: Its editorial pits Trump as the villain here and Kaepernick as the hero of sorts. The QB still can't find a team, but the weekend protests "might well have been a huge victory for free speech and the cause of racial justice he has so bravely espoused." The editorial gives the last word to LeBron James, who tweeted of Trump that "going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!” Washington Post: The editors don't care what Trump thinks of Kaepernick. But "when his response to protest is to question patriotism rather than engage on the issue of unequal policing—then it is Mr. Trump who 'disrespects our Flag & our Country.'" USA Today: Its editorial faults Trump as "divider in chief" and says his use of the presidential bully pulpit to fault those exercising their right to dissent is "simply indecent." But an op-ed at the newspaper by former Nebraska Congressman Jon Christensen praises Trump's move. "When millionaire athletes refuse to honor America and pay homage to the men and women who died for our freedom, and instead, choose to use their field of occupation to make a statement, then I can choose to turn the channel." They do indeed deserve to be fired, he adds.