Robert Jeffress: NFL Players Would Be ‘Shot in the Head’ in Other Countries
No stranger to speaking boldly, Pastor Robert Jeffress unashamedly told Fox and Friends exactly what he thought of NFL players who kneel.
“These players ought to be thanking God that they live in a country where they’re not only free to earn millions of dollars every year, but they’re also free from the worry of being shot in the head for taking the knee like they would be in North Korea,” the First Baptist Dallas pastor says. “And I think tens of millions of Americans agree with President Trump when he says they ought to be called out for this.”
Despite some outrage over his comments, Jeffress reaffirmed them in a later statement.
“I stand by my comments as taken within their full context,” the statement said. “It is an absolute fact that in many countries of the world, professional athletes would be imprisoned—or worse—for publicly opposing their nation’s anthem or disrespecting their national leaders. If any member of the press doubts this fact, then I would encourage them to take a trip to North Korea themselves, publicly shame Kim Jong-un, and then see what happens. All of us should thank God every day that we live in a country where we do not have to fear government persecution for expressing our beliefs,” Jeffress says.
Watch the video to see his interview.