On May 23, the NFL adopted new rules requiring that players who kneel in protest during the national anthem must either remain in the locker room or face “discipline” if they do not “stand and show respect for the flag or the Anthem.”

This is a shameful decision, but it wasn’t enough for Trump, who implied players who kneel during the anthem should be deported.

His exact words? “You have to stand proudly for the national anthem, or you shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.”

So, in Trump logic, people protesting police brutality deserve swift, violent, and inhumane punishment, but racist cops who murder black and brown people face no consequences.

This mandatory, forced “patriotism” is unacceptable—and Trump’s threat against players who exercise their right to protest is aggressive and tyrannical. The NFL needs to fix this. Now.

Sign now if you agree that NFL players should be allowed to kneel during the anthem without punishment.