Brees to Trump: 'We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues'

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On Friday, President Donald Trump tweeted that New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees shouldn't have apologized for his controversial comments about NFL players protesting saying Brees should've kept "his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag."  Later that day, Brees responded to President Trump "We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues."

"To @realdonaldtrump," Brees wrote in a post to his social media accounts, "Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.

"We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform.

"We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history! If not now, then when?"We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities. We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action. The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us."

To @realdonaldtrump Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities. We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform. We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history! If not now, then when? We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities. We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action. The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us.

A post shared by Drew Brees (@drewbrees) on Jun 5, 2020 at 7:10pm PDT

Brees was asked earlier this week about players potentially kneeling during the anthem this season. He told Yahoo Finnace he would “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States.” Several of Brees' teammates including Malcolm Jenkins, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas expressed frustration about his comments. Brees apologized for his comments both publically and during a meeting with his teammates. 

His response to Trump's message drew support from the same teammates who criticised him.

My teammate dropped a bar... paraphrasing @demario__davis , “apology is a form of true leadership... that’s taking ownership.” Only through open dialogue & open hearts can we expand our comprehension and only in courage can we create positive change! ---- @drewbrees https://t.co/Z3GZJ0awwC

— cameron jordan (@camjordan94) June 6, 2020

A big part of leadership is admitting when you are wrong, and correcting your mistake. A model that All of America can follow, admit the wrong done to the black community, fix the issues and WE ALL move forward together. Let’s all stand together now and find solutions. https://t.co/8RG3wMeiSd

— Demario Davis #56 (@demario__davis) June 6, 2020

MY QB ---- https://t.co/TOSprTpFHr

— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) June 6, 2020