Trump Threatens NFL’s Tax Status; Owners to Consider Kneel Ban

President Trump on Tuesday morning suggested the National Football League lose its “massive tax breaks” because of players kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality. And hours later, it was reported that the NFL will consider changing its rules to force all players to stand during the pre-game anthem. “Why is the NFL getting massive tax breaks while at the same time disrespecting our Anthem, Flag and Country? Change tax law!” the president wrote. According to a league spokesperson, NFL owners will consider the possible rule change at a meeting next week. (Yahoo News reported that, contrary to popular misconceptions, the NFL hasn’t operated its offices under tax-exempt status since 2015; and so it’s unclear what exact laws Trump even has in mind.)