Former quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who was born in Milwaukee, sparked controversy in 2016 when he took a stand on racial injustices by kneeling during the national anthem. Although Kaepernick is now without a job, his actions continue to divide the country, as seen in the most recent twitter exchange between Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Democratic Lt. Governor candidate Mandela Barnes.
It started on September 6, when Walker commented on a tweet Barnes had written back in January. Referring to President Donald Trump’s criticism of Kaepernick, Barnes tweeted, “Take a knee.”
Walker questioned whether his Democratic challenger for governor, Tony Evers, shared the same views as his running mate Barnes.
Why did Walker choose to comment on such a polarizing issue with the midterm elections right around the corner? Will the controversy impact his campaign, especially since he’s changed his statements on the national anthem protests?
Walker’s Shifting Opinion
In September 2017, Walker was asked about Kaepernick taking a knee. Walker said, “I’ll let others explain what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. I just know in my household, my kids were always taught, as I was always taught, you stand and put your hand over your heart.” The governor made it clear that those were his personal beliefs. Although he never directly addressed the players, he said, “part of those rights is the right to protest, so others can do that but they should have to explain why they’re doing that.”
Around the same time, President Donald Trump began his outspoken criticism of the NFL.
Trump first spoke about the issue at a political rally. On Sept. 23, 2017, he took to Twitter to say players who don’t stand up for the national anthem should be fired.
It wasn’t long before Walker’s opinion on the national anthem protests began inching closer to President Trump’s.
In October 2017, Walker wrote a letter to the NFL and the players’ union. He wrote, “Speaking up for what you believe in is a profoundly American idea, but disrespecting our flag, and the men and women who have fought to protect and defend our country, is not American in the slightest.”
Walker demanded that the NFL stop players from protesting and move on from what he called a “divisive political sideshow.” He ended with a request: “Stand for the American flag and the national anthem out of respect for those who risk their lives for our freedoms.”
Walker added on to his comments laterthat month in an interview with “Fox& Friends.” Walker said if players want to protest that they shoulddo it at a different time on a different platform.
Two days after, Walker began an online petition to pressurethe NFL and stop players from protesting during the national anthem.
Since then, the NFL tried to implement a national anthem policy that would have allowed players who wished to protest to remain in the locker room. Each team could decide whether protesting players should be punished. However, the following fall, the NFL and the players’ union decided not to pass this policy.
Photo: Sam Schmitz
Walker vs. Barnes
Walker followed up his initial response to Mandela Barnes’ tweet to confirm his opposition to national anthem protests.
Responding to Walker, Evers said that, while he choses to stand for the anthem, he also supports the players’ right to peaceful protest. “Scott Walker wants to distract and divide us — anything to avoid talking about his record,” Evers said.
The feud escalated when Barnes criticized Walker’s lack of service in the military, and followed that tweet up with a picture of himself wearing a Kaepernick jersey.
Next, Walker’s Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch jumped in, claiming her sources had seen Barnes kneel for the national anthem.
Barnes quickly responded that Kleefisch’s claims were false.
Heading Into the Midterm Elections
As the election approaches, a Marquette Law School survey reveals that the race between Walker and Evers is neck and neck. The survey has Walker ahead of Evers by just one point among likely voters.
Political Atlas shows that the state of Wisconsin is leaning Democratic ahead of the midterms.
Governor Walker’s alignment with President Trump could play into the result of the midterm election as well. According to the Marquette Law School survey, Trump’s overall approval rating is at 46 percent, with 51 percent disapproving. When asked whether Trump has changed the Republican party, 25 percent say he has changed it for the better, while 47 percent say he has changed it for the worse. The other 25 percent say he hasn’t it changed it much either way.
In an interview with Fox & Friends, Walker said, “This is a true wake up call… if you listen in our state… particularly for the Democrats running for Governor, their rhetoric is increasingly not just liberal, but filled with anger and hatred towards me, the President and towards Republicans in general.”
Regardless, Walker’s fight for a third term in office will be more difficult than expected. Continuing to speak on the national anthem protests and other controversial topics may not be helping.
Milwaukee resident David Sidhu first heard about the national anthem protests when Kaepernick discussed the idea of kneeling with Army Special Forces veteran Nate Boyer. Sidhu said that learning about Kaepernick and Boyer’s discussion helped him understand why Kaepernick decided to kneel.
Sidhu said that he sides with Kaepernick’s movement and is proud that someone from the city of Milwaukee is making such a big impact in the country three years later.
Photo: Michael Zagaris via Getty Images
Sidhu didn’t understand the need for the President to voice his opinion on the national anthem protests. He believes that Trump came off as uneducated when discussing other topics like the Black Lives Matter movement. He said the same applies to Trump’s remarks on the national anthem protests.
“It always felt like a gut reaction and what [Trump’s] first thought about the national anthem was,” Sidhu said. “I felt it was antagonistic that he wasn’t open to discussion. Kaepernick has made such an impact not only in America but worldwide and to have a President who doesn’t want to involve himself and talk about the issue with [Kaepernick] made me feel uncomfortable.”
He says Walker changed his opinion on the controversy over time because that’s what the voters wanted to hear. “Whether [Walker] really believed that he needed to support Kaepernick or not was irrelevant. I think that’s the political climate and how [Walker] feels like he needs to react,” said Sidhu.
Like Sidhu, Milwaukee resident Alexander Kostal believes that Trump has changed the principles of the Republican Party.
“It’s become evident that anyone who doesn’t agree with Trump runs the risk of not getting the support of the Republican voters or incurring his wrath,” Kostal said.
Kostal said many people in Wisconsin have already made up their minds about Scott Walker and that his comments on the national anthem protests are a minor deal. “We’re such a heavily divided political state that I don’t think something like this would draw or takeaway from the support base that Scott Walker has,” he said.
Milwaukee resident and sports radio producer at 105.7 FM “The Fan,” Jeff Orlowski, was not aware of the Twitter battle between Scott Walker and Mandela Barnes, or any of Walker’s comments regarding the national anthem protests. Once he understood what Walker had said over time, Orlowski said, “I agree with his initial statement. If you want to kneel, then kneel, it’s you’re first amendment right to do so. [The players] are going to have to face some consequences, though.”
“NFL owners should be able to tell [the players] not to protest if they don’t want their players doing so,” Orlowski said. “[The players] don’t own the team, they still have a boss. If [an owner] doesn’t want a player to kneel, then he’s got every right to cut him, it is what it is.”
Ryan Horvat is new to Milwaukee. He moved here three years ago from Iowa.
“I can’t believe this is still that big of a topic. A lot of professional athletes are trying to do good, but we focus on the bad stuff,” Horvat said. “If you didn’t pay attention to [the players protesting], it probably would’ve went away. Making a big fuss about [the national anthem protests] gives off a bad impression”