Report: Kaepernick's lawyers hoping to subpoena Trump in collusion case
The lawyers for Colin Kaepernick are expected to seek an arbitrator's permission to subpoena President Donald Trump, potentially forcing him to testify in the unsigned quarterback's collusion case against the NFL, sources told Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports.
Kaepernick's legal team also reportedly wants to subpoena Vice President Mike Pence and other federal officials aware of Trump's agenda against NFL players who protest during the national anthem.
Kaepernick's suit against the NFL alleges that the league's owners formed an unofficial pact to keep him off a roster. Kaepernick has been a free agent since March 2017, and has already deposed multiple NFL owners in the case.
Trump has openly chastised Kaepernick for kneeling during the national anthem. He's also personally spoken to certain NFL owners about his disdain for anthem demonstrators, according to recent reports.
Related - Trump to NFL players not standing for anthem: 'Maybe you shouldn't be in the country'
Because Trump isn't part of the agreement between the NFL and the players' union, Kaepernick's legal team would first have to persuade a system arbitrator overseeing the grievance that the testimony of the president (or other political figures) would be relevant and impactful before they could seek the subpoenas.
If Trump does testify, Kaepernick's lawyers will attempt to prove the president has influenced owners to not sign the former San Francisco 49ers star. However, it's not clear whether a subpoena would be effective. Trump could ignore the order, leaving it up to the justice system to decide whether to enforce it, and as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into obstruction, his lawyers have reportedly already argued that the president can't be subpoenaed.