The NFL's decision to punish players who take a knee/protest during the national anthem has been considered a victory for President Donald Trump and his supporters. 

A statement from Commissioner Roger Goodell released Wednesday, May 23, said the league will now require players to stand for the national anthem while on the field. This drastic new ruling follows nearly two years of anti-police brutality protests spearheaded by former San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick.   

For Trump, this decision means the NFL will "make players respect the flag again." Trump suggested the new rule did not go far enough. He told Fox & Friends hosts Thursday that kneeling players should not be playing nor live in the country if they continued to protest. 

“Well, I think that’s good. I don’t think people should be staying in locker rooms. But still, I think it’s good. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem, or you shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country,” Trump said.

His rhetoric adds to comments he made last year calling protesting players "sons of b***hes."

If a player decides to protest, they can do so in the locker room without any form of punishment according to the new mandate. Players who break the new rule, however, will face fines from the league, the team and there may be on-field penalties tacked on to the actual game. The policy also extends to team personnel who protest. 

While the majority of league owners supported the new rule, New York Jets co-owner Christopher Johnson has come out in support of players willing to risk their careers to fight against injustice. He told Newsday he will pay any fines his players might incur as part of the NFL's new anthem policy.

"I do not like imposing any club-specific rules. If somebody [on the Jets] takes a knee, that fine will be borne by the organization, by me, not the players. I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players," he said.

"Do I prefer that they stand? Of course. But I understand if they felt the need to protest. There are some big, complicated issues that we're all struggling with, and our players are on the front lines. I don't want to come down on them like a ton of bricks, and I won't. There will be no club fines or suspensions or any sort of repercussions. If the team gets fined, that’s just something I'll have to bear."

Kaepernick's protest will continue. It is likely this new policy will only add fuel to the fire. 

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