{"id":13306,"date":"2017-10-10T16:24:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-10T16:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/2017\/10\/10\/trump-slams-nfl-and-jemele-hill-following-espn-suspension\/"},"modified":"2017-10-10T16:24:00","modified_gmt":"2017-10-10T16:24:00","slug":"trump-slams-nfl-and-jemele-hill-following-espn-suspension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/trump-slams-nfl-and-jemele-hill-following-espn-suspension\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Slams NFL And Jemele Hill Following ESPN Suspension"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Amy Held<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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\n ESPN suspended sportscaster Jemele Hill on Monday for a violation of the network’s social media guidelines.<\/p>\n

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John Salangsang\/Invision\/AP<\/p>\n

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John Salangsang\/Invision\/AP<\/p>\n

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With Jemele Hill at the mike, it is no wonder ESPN ratings have “tanked,” in fact, tanked so badly it is the talk of the industry!<\/p>\n

\u2014 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Sports, politics and perceptions of patriotism collided once again when President Trump tweeted<\/a> early Tuesday about ESPN’s SportsCenter<\/em> host Jemele Hill, suggesting she is the reason for the network’s poor ratings. Hill was suspended a day earlier for comments about the ongoing national anthem protests.<\/p>\n

Trump also went after what the NFL pays in taxes, tweeting<\/a>, “Why is the NFL getting massive tax breaks while at the same time disrespecting our Anthem, Flag and Country? Change tax law!”<\/p>\n

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Why is the NFL getting massive tax breaks while at the same time disrespecting our Anthem, Flag and Country? Change tax law!<\/p>\n

\u2014 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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ESPN suspended Hill on Monday<\/a> “for a second violation of our social media guidelines,” the network said in a statement. The first violation came last month, when Hill tweeted <\/a>that Trump “is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w\/ other white supremacists.” At the time, ESPN said<\/a> it had addressed the comments with Hill and “she recognizes her actions were inappropriate.” Hill, a prolific tweeter, avoided an outright apology but said <\/a>she regretted having “painted ESPN in an unfair light.”<\/p>\n

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said <\/a>Hill should have been fired for the “outrageous comments.”<\/p>\n