Karl Rove on NFL Protests: Trump Will Be ‘Walking Away From This a Loser’

On this weekend’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday,” network contributor and Republican strategist Karl Rove discussed President Donald Trump criticism of NFL players for taking a knee during the national anthem at games.

According to Rove, Trump would be “walking away” from this controversy a “loser.”

Rove said, “What instead of swearing at them, he said, ‘I understand that you have a right to do this, but we stand and respect our flag, not because of America’s imperfections, but because we are constantly as a nation aspiring to the approval of history. We salute the flag because the struggles and the sacrifices of generations of Americans to make this a better country. That is why we stand and salute our flag and why we put our hand over our heart.'”

“He could have come away from this the winner,” he continued. “But he is walking away from this a loser in the minds of the American people for exactly the reasons you pointed out. He was against the federal government interfering and telling the Washington Redskins what their name should be. Now he is saying fire those people if they do not stand and respect the flag. He ought to be an aspirational figure. He should not be a condemnatory figure.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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