GOP Rep. Steve King likens Colin Kaepernick to ISIS

US Representative Steve King says 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick Anthem protest ‘sympathetic to ISIS’

The Colin Kaepernick debate rages on. Celebrities and athletes have weighed in on both sides of it for the past two weeks. For some, it’s created resentment and division, while others see it as an opportunity to advance the discussion of race relations in this country. US Rep. Steve King’s latest statement would fall into the former category.

King may have pushed the issue to its most uncomfortable parameter yet with inflammatory comments about the 49ers quarterback. Speaking with Newsmax’s Steve Malzberg, King likened Kaepernick’s protest to the terrorist organization ISIS. And he doesn’t stop there. The Iowa Rep. singles out Kaepernick’s girlfriend, a practicing Islamist, to speculate Kaepernick may have converted. Kaepernick denies this claim.

"“I understand that he has an Islamic girlfriend that is his fiancée and that this has changed him and has taken on some different political views along the way. This is activism that’s sympathetic to ISIS.”– US Rep. Steve King (R. Iowa)"

He goes on to say Kaepernick wouldn’t play again, if he were coaching, “until you take a knee and beg forgiveness from the American people.”

Form of Protest

Kaepernick’s protest has dominated headlines for the past three weeks. He’s refused to stand for the National Anthem, citing the oppression of “black people and people of color” in America.

The issue has splintered among different segments of society. Many feel Kaepernick should find another form of protest, and others think the platform afforded him by the NFL is perfect. His message has definitely reached the masses.

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How that message is being interpreted has become the discussion. Kaepernick isn’t anti-American, as he’s explained, but anti-oppression and police brutality. Whether or not his form of protest is suitable to some, such vitriol from King is irresponsible and dangerous.