USMNT MF Weston McKennie on Donald Trump: 'You can call him racist'
United States Men's National Team and Schalke midfielder Weston McKennie recently delivered harsh and direct criticism toward President Donald Trump.
As ESPN's Stephan Uersfeld wrote, McKennie sported a "Justice for George" armband for a May 30 German Bundesliga match to honor George Floyd, an African-American man who died while in Minneapolis police custody on May 25 after a white officer knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes.
The four officers involved in that incident were arrested and charged.
Recently, McKennie spoke with German outlet Sport Bild about race relations in the United States, instances of police violence and Donald Trump.
"I don't think that Trump is the right one for the job as the president," McKennie said, per the translation of an article published in German.
"I stand by these words. I believe he doesn't understand the responsibility he has for the entire country. I think he's ignorant. I don't support him a bit. I don't think he's a man to stand by his word. In my eyes, you can call him racist."
Last week, McKennie was one of many soccer and other sports personalities who featured in a video condemning police brutality and who campaigned: Enough is enough.
McKennie also touched upon this subject while speaking with Sport Bild.
"There might be a small minority which does not protest peacefully," he said. "But the majority does it. "And if you then fire with tear gas and rubber bullets it rather looks that the government rather wants to provoke something to create a false image. If [Trump] walks to the church and poses with the Bible, it's just not the truth. It's like in those videos in which you can see that peaceful demonstrators are attacked."
As noted by the Associated Press (h/t CBC), the Bundesliga elected to not punish McKennie or other players who showed support for Floyd while on the pitch. Previously, UEFA and FIFA rules mandated players be handed yellow cards during games for any outward political, religious, or socially-aware displays.
The English Football Association has also declared players may offer social-justice demonstrations while representing Premier League or other clubs.
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