Conservative firebrand Tomi Lahren ruffled a few feathers this week when she jumped to the defense of Dallas Cowboys player Dak Prescott amid backlash over the footballer’s recent comments on players kneeling during the national anthem.
Prescott, 25, has been forced to defend himself against critics after suggesting that football games aren’t the time or place to address sociopolitical issues. His controversial comments came just days after team owner Jerry Jones said he would require all players to stand for the anthem, despite NFL rules saying players have the right to remain in the locker room.
“I don’t think that’s the time or the venue to do so,” Prescott said of the on-field protests. ” … So when you bring such a controversy to the stadium, to the field, to the game, it takes away. It takes away from the joy and the love that football brings a lot of people.”
Right-wing pundit Tomi Lahren (left) commended Dak Prescott for not “disrespecting” the flag and anthem by kneeling. (Images courtesy of
The quarterback faced swift backlash from fans, particularly from the Black community. West coast rapper The Game dubbed Prescott “a coon” for his remark and even accused him of being a Trump supporter.
Lahren, an outspoken critic of the protests, thought it ridiculous that Prescott was receiving so much hate for being a “patriot.”
“Dak doesn’t believe in disrespecting the flag, the anthem, our veterans, or our United States military and that makes him a traitor to his race?,” she tweeted Tuesday. “Are people serious? How absolutely disgusting.”
The Fox News host continued to heap praises on Prescott during her Final Thoughts segment. “Well, Amen to that! Finally, someone gets it!” she applauded.
Lahren’s tweet drew mixed reactions from folks who believe players have the right to exercise their First Amendment rights wherever they please, and from those who consider the protests as a slight to the flag and all it stands for.
“… It makes him a citizen of the U.S., exercising his constitutional right to stand, just as it is the constitutional right of others, to kneel,” one man wrote in response to Lahren. “You and others treating those who kneel as disrespecting the flag and military, are the ones disrespecting those things.”
“Good for Dak,” wrote another who shared a link to a story of The Game calling Prescott a “Coon”. “He’ll be hated tho for having a mind of his own.”
Another follower fired back at Lahren, “I’m a USMC infantry veteran, so stop speaking for us. We aren’t your patriotic right-wing pawn. So unless you’re willing to join the military, kindly stop, you’re clueless. Banging Navy SEALs doesn’t qualify you as a spokesperson.”
“It’s so amazing to me how a little blonde patriot girl can piss off so many liberals with just a few words. 😆😂🤣😂 Keep up the good work Tomi, you have them on a string. I love it!”, jested another who delighted in the back and forth.
Other users specifically took issue with Prescott’s suggestion that there’s no action happening outside of the protests while some found it interesting that Lahren was OK with a football player chiming into politics. More military vets chimed in, expressing frustration with regular folks saying what is and isn’t offensive to the armed services.
“Why do people who’ve never served keep trying to tell those of us who have what is and isn’t disrespectful towards us?,” one person said. “Peaceful protest is a Constitutional right, EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T AGREE WITH THE FORM OF PROTEST! THAT’s what we fought for. As far as Dak goes, he’s entitled to his own opinion.”
The conversation continued with well over 500 comments with Lahren herself staying away. Prescott also garnered sympathy, with fans saying he was put in “a tough spot.”
The footballer has since walked back his comments, saying he was “misunderstood.”
