Jerry Jones reveals Trump was adamant about not letting anthem issue die
Donald Trump's potential influence over the NFL's new national anthem policy has come to light in the first testimony to come from Colin Kaepernick's collusion grievance against the league.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones revealed details of a phone conversation with the President of the United States in which Trump made it clear he wasn't going to let go of the issue of players protesting during the anthem.
"This is a very winning, strong issue for me," Trump told Jones, according to Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal. "Tell everybody, you can't win this one. This one lifts me."
Trump reacted positively to the NFL's decision, but still took issue with the league allowing players to stay in the locker room during the anthem if they wish, saying "maybe you shouldn't be in the country."
It's been speculated that the NFL's anthem policy is an attempt to dissuade the president from further verbal attacks. The league and its owners are reportedly "terrified" of Trump, one league source told the Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman.
Trump called for protesting NFL players to be "fired" at a rally prior to Week 3 last season, causing widespread demonstrations across the league.