(JTA) — Jewish New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he was “deeply disappointed” by United States President Donald Trump’s current clash with football and basketball players. Trump on Friday at a rally in Alabama fired the first salvo, calling out football players who kneel during the national anthem as a protest against the treatment of blacks by police and other officials.
Kraft, who is known as a long-time friend of the president, wrote on the team’s Twitter account on Sunday, “I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President on Friday. I am proud to be associated with so many players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting our communities. Their efforts, both on and off the field, help bring people together and make our community stronger. There is no greater unifier in this country than sports, and unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics. I think our political leaders could learn a lot from the lessons of teamwork and the importance of working together toward a common goal. Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community and I support their right to peacefully affect social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is most impactful.”