Anthem row: Trump drags Bolt into controversy

US President Donald Trump has dragged Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt into the ongoing row about athletes protesting during the US national anthem, Independent.ie  reports.

Trump tweeted a video of the 100m world record holder pausing an interview at the 2012 London Olympics as the US national anthem began to play in the background along with the message, “Even Usain Bolt from Jamaica, one of the greatest runners and athletes of all time, showed RESPECT for our National Anthem!”

The tweet from Trump keeps the controversy over athletes protesting during the playing of the anthem bubbling away.

The move comes after a survey revealed the majority of Americans disagree with  Trump’s assertion that football players should be fired for kneeling during the national anthem, even though most say they would personally stand during the song, according to an exclusive Reuters/Ipsosopinion poll released on Tuesday.

The September 25-26 poll found that 57 per cent of adults do not think the National Football League should fire players who kneel.

This included 61 per cent of NFL fans who watch at least a few games per season.

The results were split along party lines, however, as 82 per cent of Democrats and 29 per cent of Republicans disagreed with the president’s comments about firing football players. Punch