Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stands with Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence and acknowledge the crowd on the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 20, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Pence Departure From NFL Game Slammed as 'PR Stunt' Orchestrated by Trump
Trump tweeted that he 'asked' Pence to leave the game if any players kneeled during the national anthem
Vice President Mike Pence made headlines Sunday afternoon for leaving an Indianapolis Colts game after more than a dozen players on the opposing team--the San Francisco 49ers--kneeled during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality.
While Pence implied that he left the game of his own volition, President Donald Trump tweeted an hour later that he "asked" Pence to "leave [the] stadium if any players kneeled."
Critics immediately slammed the entire episode as a "PR stunt," arguing Trump's tweet is clear evidence that Pence's walk-out was planned in advance. Many also called attention to the taxpayer money spent on flying Pence to Indianapolis from Las Vegas.
As the Washington Post reports, the media pool that arrived at the Colts game with Pence were directed to stay in the van, instead of going into the stadium with the vice president.
"A staffer told the pool there was a chance Pence may depart from the game early, but did not mention how early," the Post notes.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just four days to go in our Spring Campaign, we are not even halfway to our goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Vice President Mike Pence made headlines Sunday afternoon for leaving an Indianapolis Colts game after more than a dozen players on the opposing team--the San Francisco 49ers--kneeled during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality.
While Pence implied that he left the game of his own volition, President Donald Trump tweeted an hour later that he "asked" Pence to "leave [the] stadium if any players kneeled."
Critics immediately slammed the entire episode as a "PR stunt," arguing Trump's tweet is clear evidence that Pence's walk-out was planned in advance. Many also called attention to the taxpayer money spent on flying Pence to Indianapolis from Las Vegas.
As the Washington Post reports, the media pool that arrived at the Colts game with Pence were directed to stay in the van, instead of going into the stadium with the vice president.
"A staffer told the pool there was a chance Pence may depart from the game early, but did not mention how early," the Post notes.
Vice President Mike Pence made headlines Sunday afternoon for leaving an Indianapolis Colts game after more than a dozen players on the opposing team--the San Francisco 49ers--kneeled during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality.
While Pence implied that he left the game of his own volition, President Donald Trump tweeted an hour later that he "asked" Pence to "leave [the] stadium if any players kneeled."
Critics immediately slammed the entire episode as a "PR stunt," arguing Trump's tweet is clear evidence that Pence's walk-out was planned in advance. Many also called attention to the taxpayer money spent on flying Pence to Indianapolis from Las Vegas.
As the Washington Post reports, the media pool that arrived at the Colts game with Pence were directed to stay in the van, instead of going into the stadium with the vice president.
"A staffer told the pool there was a chance Pence may depart from the game early, but did not mention how early," the Post notes.