Trump tries to change the topic from Russia to NFL anthem debate during NJ stay

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump, facing continued bipartisan criticism for appearing to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies, sought to change the topic and appeal to his base by tweeting out new attacks on pro football players who kneel during the National Anthem.

Trump, who is spending the weekend at his Bedminster golf club with no public activities scheduled, said on Twitter that players should be suspended for one game the first time they kneel and suspended for the season the second time.

The NFL National Anthem Debate is alive and well again - can't believe it! Isn't it in contract that players must stand at attention, hand on heart? The $40,000,000 Commissioner must now make a stand. First time kneeling, out for game. Second time kneeling, out for season/no pay!
-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2018

Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said Trump has been able to change the topic when he wants to.

"Where Trump is successful is in controlling the narrative as to what issues we're discussing," Murray said. "Every time he does that, he's very successful in shaking up the media narrative and getting us to focus on a different topic."

Trump has attempted to make an issue out of the fact that some football players last season took a knee during the anthem to protest police brutality in minority communities.

He first started the fight in Huntsville, Ala., last September by suggesting that NFL owners fire athletes who don't stand for the national anthem.

"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired,'" Trump said during a rally.

Was this Trump's worst week ever?

The NFL and its players' association agreed this week to suspend the league's new policy that would require players on the field to stand for the anthem but also allow them to remain in locker rooms before games.

https://t.co/4dEMTwzbLv pic.twitter.com/sMp8zInCZZ
-- NFLPA (@NFLPA) July 20, 2018

His latest tweet came as he tried to fend off attacks from lawmakers of both parties after he refused to condemn Russia for intervening in the 2016 elections on his behalf.

Instead, Trump seemed to give a moral equivalence between Putin and the U.S. intelligence agencies who said he ordered the cyberattacks during the election.

"I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial," Trump said at the press conference following their meeting.

Trump again defended his performance.

I got severely criticized by the Fake News Media for being too nice to President Putin. In the Old Days they would call it Diplomacy. If I was loud & vicious, I would have been criticized for being too tough. Remember when they said I was too tough with Chairman Kim? Hypocrites!
-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2018

Earlier this week, New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch criticized Trump for continuing to raise the anthem issue.

"Hopefully he'll have much more going on that he's going have to deal with and should deal with and must deal with than worrying about what NFL players do," Tisch told the Hollywood Reporter.

"He has no understanding of why they take a knee or why they're protesting," Tisch said. "When the new season starts, I hope his priorities are not criticizing the NFL and telling owners what to do and what not to do."

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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