President Trump brought his call for people to stand during the national anthem to the State of the Union address Tuesday.
During his speech, Trump hailed a 12-year-old California boy named Preston Sharp for placing flags on the graves of veterans – and then made a reminder of his criticism of NFL stars who protested against civil rights abuses by taking a knee during the “Star-Spangled Banner” before games.
Preston Sharp waves from the first lady’s box during the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill.AP“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,” Trump said, drawing wild applause from Republicans and stone-cold looks from Democrats.
Trump touched off a political and social firestorm early in the football season, calling for NFL owners to fire players who refused to stand for the anthem.
