USMNT captain Michael Bradley: Muslim ban shows Trump is ‘out of touch’

U.S. men’s national team captain Michael Bradley spoke at length about Donald Trump’s recent immigration ban.

U.S. men’s national team captain Michael Bradley joined the chorus of athletes speaking out against Donald Trump’s travel ban for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries. 

“I get this idea that there are people who think for the time being we as a country need to think about ourselves and the security of our country first and foremost. As a father of two young children, I can understand that,” Bradley said in an interview Saturday night withSI’s Grant Wahl. “But ultimately, I truly believe the United States is a country that has always been about welcoming people from all over the world and giving them an opportunity for a better life, an opportunity they otherwise wouldn’t have.”

US men's national team captain Michael Bradley on Trump's #MuslimBan pic.twitter.com/hctFmj7WSU

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• Mo Farah says Trump’s refugee ban ‘comes from a place of ignorance and prejudice’

A few hours later, Bradley elaborated on the thoughts he shared with Wahl, saying his words had been “too soft.”

“I gave an answer where I tried to make it clear that while I understand the need for safety, the values and ideals of our country should never be sacrificed,” Bradley wrote on Instagram. “I believe what I said, but it was too soft. The part I left out is how sad and embarrassed I am. When Trump was elected, I only hoped that the President Trump would be different that the campaigner Trump. That the xenophobic, misogynistic and narcissistic rhetoric would be replaced with a more humble and measured approach to leading our country. I was wrong. And the Muslim ban is just the latest example of someone who couldn’t be more out of touch with our country and the right way to move forward.”

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Trump signed an executive order Friday evening banning people from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen from entering the United States. The ban extends to permanent legal U.S. residents and those with valid visas. A federal judge issued an emergency ruling Saturday night halting parts of the provision.