It amazes me that no one ever seems to get that, as Cannoli has repeatedly pointed out on this website, when Trump plays to his base like this, all the sputtering outrage from liberal media outlets accomplishes nothing but firing up his supporters. Those most offended are those who already can't stand him. Are journalists, athletes, and other performers so out of touch that they don’t get there is a substantial percentage of the population that agrees with him? Who get pissed off when players kneel or raise a clenched fist during the National Anthem or publicly decline an invitation to the White House while listing for us their reasons for doing so? Evidently. Here’s a thought. At his next “outrageous” tweet or comment, how about everyone just says, whatever and moves on?

A couple of other thoughts on this.

The First Amendment does not guarantee freedom from all negative consequences. It guarantees that the government can’t arrest and prosecute you for exercising your rights. So, an NFL owner probably could cut a player who uses that owner’s workplace to stage a public protest that could conceivably alienate both fans and sponsors. That owner would have to be willing to go through all the tedious legal challenges, but those who are saying the First Amendment prohibits them from doing so are flat out wrong.

It has become a tradition for successful sports teams to be invited to the White House after winning a championship. How about if those team members who don’t like the President or don’t approve of his politics, simply decide to skip the invite without the self-aggrandizement? Does the world need another press conference explaining why someone who is very good at tossing a large orange ball through a steel hoop from 30 feet away doesn’t want to go to the White House? Somehow, I think we could soldier on without it.

EDIT: I have been richly amused by the parade of NFL owners releasing statements defending the rights of their players to protest. Somehow I would find their pronouncements just a tad more credible if one of them had offered Kaepernick a job. But no, hasn't happened. I found the statements of John Mara of my Giants and Steve Bisciotti of the Baltimore Ravens particularly laughable. Both these owners have previously gone on record saying they wouldn't sign Kaep due to pushback from season ticket holders and sponsors. Now suddenly they are all on board. I call bullshit.