Jets Acting Owner, Brother of Trump Appointee, Links Arms With Players During Anthem
The New York Jets' acting owner, Christopher Johnson, linked arms with Jets players during the national anthem before the team's game against the Dolphins on Sunday. Johnson is the brother of Woody Johnson, the owner of the Jets who was appointed by Trump to serve as the ambassador to the United Kingdom.
"It was an honor and a privilege to stand arm-in-arm unified with our players during today's National Anthem," Johnson said in a statement. "We are very proud of our players and their strong commitment to work in our community to make a positive, constructive and unifying impact."
On Friday night, president Donald Trump said NFL owners should "fire" NFL players who protest the anthem and referred to them as "son of a b----." His comments have been criticized by multiple NFL owners, players and the commissioner. Players have responded with a number of different protests and signs of solidarity; most teams have linked arms during the anthem, while a number of players kneeled.
The Pittsburgh Steelers opted to stay in the locker room during the anthem.
