President Donald Trump said that a story published by CNN about the NFL controversy is a “total lie.”
The story by CNN cited two unnamed officials claiming that White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly did not agree with the president’s comments about NFL players refusing to stand for the national anthem.
Trump called out NFL players’ refusal to stand for the national anthem in a speech in Alabama on Friday Sept. 22, calling on NFL owners to fire those who “disrespect our flag.”
However, the story contradicts itself when it cites an interview with Kelly in which he echoes the comments made by Trump.
“I believe every American, when the national anthem is played, should cover their hearts and think about all the men and women who have been maimed and killed,” Kelly said. “Every American should stand up and think for three lousy minutes.”
Kelly experienced the tragedy of war first-hand when his son, Marine First Lieutenant Robert Kelly, was killed in action in Sangin, Afghanistan, in 2010.
Trump wrote on twitter that “General John Kelly totally agrees w/ my stance on NFL players and the fact that they should not be disrespecting our FLAG or GREAT COUNTRY!”
He also described CNN as fake news and said that the story about General Kelly was a “total lie.”
CNN retracted the story after Scaramucci threatened legal action over the false story. Three CNN journalists belonging to its investigative unit were forced to leave the company as a result.
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