4:20
- ABC News
- September 25, 2017
Lee Daniels weighs in on national anthem protests
"Empire" creator says the country's "dark times" will lead to great art.
Daniels joined a slew of other stars reacting to Sunday's peaceful protest by dozens of NFL players across the country and overseas in London, who either kneeled or locked arms in solidarity as the national anthem played before Sunday's football games.
The impromptu protest was in response to comments Trump made during a speech in Huntsville, Alabama, Friday and remarks on Twitter in which he called for the NFL to \"fire or suspend\" those who kneel during \"The Star-Spangled Banner.\"
\"The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race,\" Trump tweeted earlier today. \"It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!\"
The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2017
Speaking to the press today, LeBron James said Sunday's protests were not about \"the disrespect of our flag and the military that’s made this world free.\"
He said, \"It's about equality.\"
Asked if he felt bad about calling the president a \"bum\" on Twitter, the Cleveland Cavaliers star replied, \"Basically, no.\"
Mark Ruffalo also took to Twitter today to defend protestors.
If you can’t see these protests are about race and not the flag then either you are dim or dishonest. #Takeaknee https://t.co/Edb4Fvi8tZ
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) September 25, 2017
ABC News' Candice Williams contributed to this report.
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