Bill Maher and Bob Costas slam Donald Trump over Colin Kapernick rant

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump made some very controversial remarks about NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.

“Wouldn’t you 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. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’” he told a crowd in Alabama.

“You know, some owner is going to do that. He’s going to say, ‘That guy that disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they don’t know it [but] they’ll be the most popular person in this country.”

Kneeling during the national anthem was started by American football player Colin Kaepernick back in 2016. The protest was done in support of Black Lives Matter, which campaigns against systematic racism in America.

Numerous celebrities have already criticised the comments, including Stevie Wonder, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, and Oakland baseball player Bruce Maxwell.

Bill Maher was also quick to comment on Trump’s remarks, discussing them with sports broadcaster Bob Costas on his show Real Time.

“Now, I think a guy should be able to not stand for the National Anthem,” Maher said, to which Costas responded: “Even people who disagree with [Kaepernick] recognise that you’d be crazy to deny the right of expression that the people they rightly revere — for having put their lives on the line to protect it and ensure it — why would you deprive someone of that right, even if you disagree with it?”

Maher added: "Trump is consistently awful." Watch below, via EW. The discussion starts around the 6.00 mark.

Costas added how “in effect, the owners collectively have told Colin Kaepernick to get the hell off the field because he doesn’t have a team.”

Maher noted how he’s surprised more athletes haven’t been kneeling, although, over the weekend, many more players have started in response to Trump.