President Trump Calls Football 'A Dangerous Sport,' Prefers Son Doesn't Play
President Donald Trump says that he prefers that his 12-year-old son Barron play other sports than football, calling it a "dangerous sport"
Trump told CBS News in an interview taped before Super Bowl LIII that there are several concerns with his son playing the sport.
Trump adds that his son prefers to play soccer and was asked if he would let his son play football.
“It’s very, it’s very tough question,” Trump said. “It’s a very good question. If he wanted to? Yes. Would I steer him that way? No, I wouldn’t.”
“I just don’t like the reports that I see coming out having to do with football—I mean, it’s a dangerous sport and I think it’s- I- it’s- really tough, I thought the equipment would get better, and it has,” he said. “The helmets have gotten far better but it hasn’t solved the problem. So, you know I- I hate to say it because I love to watch football."
The president says that many people, “including me, thought soccer would probably never make it in this country, but it really is moving forward rapidly.”
Trump also sounded off about the national anthem controversy again. Trump has called for NFL players to be fired if they kneeled during the playing of the anthem.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee before games during the 2016 season. He has not been signed by an NFL team since.
"You can't be kneeling for the national anthem. You have to respect our flag and our country. I want that as president and I'd want that as a citizen," Trump said. "But they haven't been kneeling and they have been respecting the flag and their ratings have been terrific ever since. And a lot of good things happened."
