Rep. Steve King said he would kick NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick off the team if he were the coach and saw him taking a knee during the National Anthem.
During an interview on Newsmax TV's "America Talks Live," King — a Republican who represents Iowa's 4th district — compared the situation to a personal one involving someone on his staff.
"I just think of it if somebody is working for me and they represent me, that's the name scenario, legal scenario that they have on a football team," King said. "If somebody went out there and said, 'In my spare time I'm going to promote abortion and same-sex marriage and eroding the Constitution of the United States and promote socialism,' they'd be gone in the first minute they opened their mouth on that. I would fire them and they all know that.
"I think Colin Kaepernick is representing the San Francisco 49ers when he puts on that uniform, when he sets out on the stage, the world stage. He's taking advantage of that and he's undermining patriotism."
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King said Kaepernick has an "Islamic" fiancée and that has changed some of his views.
"This is activism that is sympathetic to ISIS," King said. "For me, if I'm the coach, I would say you're done. Until you take a knee and beg forgiveness from the American people, you're not going to set foot out on this field again. That would be my answer to him."
Kaepernick first drew criticism on Aug. 26 when he remained seated during the National Anthem at a preseason football game. He said later he believes African-Americans and other minorities are being mistreated in the U.S.
Before the 49ers game Monday night, Kaepernick and a handful of teammates knelt during the National Anthem.
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