Kaepernick says NFL politics align with Trump admin

Former NFL star Colin Kaepernick took aim at the Trump administration during a Monday interview with "The View," arguing that professional football is now aligned politically with the White House. Co-host Ana Navarro pressed him on his past, noting he was forced out of his 49ers contract after only six months of protest and never signed again. She pointed out that he sued for collusion claiming owners blocked him intentionally, yet the league denied it while settling behind closed doors. Now looking back at why no team would hire him, Navarro asked for his honest opinion on those events.

Kaepernick answered that politics and raw power drove the decision to silence him. He explained to the liberal talk show hosts that he was not protesting football itself but rather how the league responded to a specific action. That response reveals where the organization stands politically while they donate millions to President Donald Trump and his administration. Co-host Sunny Hostin applauded this point and added her own view about the boycotts that erupted because of the NFL's handling of protest. She noted that since roughly 70 percent of players are Black, athletes hold real power over the league's direction.

If all players unified for one weekend to refuse playing games, he insisted there would be no business at all and change would happen fast. Alyssa Farah Griffin brought up the heavy backlash Kaepernick faced, including death threats from people who felt kneeling disrespected the flag or military members. She asked if he was shocked by that level of hate. He replied yes and no simultaneously.

Kaepernick said his childhood shaped his expectations for how society reacts to dissent. He listed historical examples ranging from Tommie Smith and John Carlos to Muhammad Ali, Curt Flood, and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf who all faced similar treatment when protesting as Black athletes. The part that truly surprised him was the intense pushback on the simple idea that police should not kill Black people. To him this is not a controversial topic but rather a basic request for safety and opportunity for everyone. He added that such reactions reveal where many people stand regarding racial justice and highlight the difficult work still ahead.

Fox News Digital contacted both the NFL and the White House for comment but did not receive an immediate response yet. This conversation marks ten years since Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.

He made it clear his activism was the direct cause of his exit from the NFL. No team offered him a contract after he chose to walk away from his 49ers deal in March 2017. Earlier this month, during an interview, Kaepernick stated that the league was "actively blackballing" him and declared he would stop supporting the organization entirely.

"I'm not gonna support an organization that one, is actively blackballing me, but two, has targeted my brothers who have been protesting as part of this as well," Kaepernick told NBC News. He added, "I watch college football." This stance highlights a stark reality: when public figures push back against established power structures, the doors close fast. The numbers are simple and telling. One player left. No offers followed. The message was loud enough for everyone to hear without needing amplification.