Sarah Huckabee Sanders Defends Trump NFL Remarks in White House Press Briefing

During the September 25, 2017 White House press briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended President Donald Trump’s criticism of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, asserting it was appropriate for the president to defend the flag. The briefing also addressed North Korea, Jared Kushner’s private email server, and Cabinet travel expenditures.

The daily White House press session on September 25, 2017, quickly centered on an escalating clash between the administration and professional athletes.

When asked if President Trump had gone too far by calling NFL players who protest “sons of bitches” who should be fired, Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded, “I think it’s always appropriate for the president of the United States to defend our flag, to defend the national anthem and to defend the men and women who fought and died to defend it.”

Contrasting Protests and the Question of Racial Inequality

Reporters challenged the administration over what appeared to be a double standard in how different demonstrations are characterized. While white supremacist protesters in Charlottesville claimed their demonstrations were about heritage rather than hate—a framing the president was more inclined to accept—the administration repeatedly insisted that NFL players kneeling to highlight racial injustice and police brutality were showing disrespect to the flag and the military.

When questioned about this disparity, Huckabee Sanders stated, “I think if the debate for them is really about police brutality, then they should protest the officers on the field that are protecting them instead of the American flag.”

She later clarified that statement, explaining she was pointing out perceived hypocrisy in utilizing the American flag to protest police brutality. “I’m not sure how those two things would be combined,” she added.

When further asked if the president was waging a culture war or had an issue with First Amendment rights, Huckabee Sanders rejected the premise. “Not at all. The president’s not talking about race; the president’s talking about pride in our country,” she stated, adding that standing up for the national anthem should bring citizens together.

Foreign Policy and Cabinet Travel Scrutiny

Beyond domestic sports protests, the briefing tackled pressing foreign policy and administrative accountability issues following the United Nations General Assembly sessions.

Asked why President Trump delivered a speech at the UN that seemingly provoked North Korea despite warnings from advisors, Huckabee Sanders dismissed the premise. “That’s a false narrative. The national security team was involved and engaged throughout the speech-writing process and was very happy with the president’s speech at the UN,” she stated.

Financial oversight within the executive branch also drew sharp questions.

According to her statements, Secretary Price addressed the matter over the weekend, confirming that both an internal review and an Office of Inspector General Review were underway, with all private charter travel suspended pending the findings.

Dissenting Opinions Within the Administration

The briefing also touched upon open political disagreements within the administration’s ranks. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson publicly endorsed Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate runoff election, directly contradicting President Trump’s endorsement of incumbent Luther Strange.

When asked about the public disagreement, Huckabee Sanders defended the administration’s internal diversity of thought. “The president has a lot of people with a variety of backgrounds and certainly with a variety of opinions. He always welcomes them voicing those,” she said.

Finally, regarding inquiries into whether Jared Kushner’s emails from a private server would be publicly released, Huckabee Sanders stated that she did not have information regarding that issue.