Donald Trump’s Tuesday State of the Union speech was light on policy specifics and heavy on inspiring anecdotes; one of these anecdotes was a story about a 12-year-old who created a campaign to place flags on veterans’ graves. Trump naturally segued from this into a reference to the black NFL players who have knelt during the national anthem to protest racial inequality:
Preston’s reverence for those who have served our Nation reminds us why we salute our flag, why we put our hands on our hearts for the pledge of allegiance, and why we proudly stand for the national anthem.
As you can see above, the Republican caucus loved it. Thirty seconds of sustained, standing applause! Thirty seconds of self-congratulation for Republican achievement in the field of looking at the American flag during the national anthem, something literally everyone in the country has done for decades except a handful of individuals involved in a specific social-justice protest. Remarkable.
