President Donald Trump put NFL owners in an unwanted spotlight this weekend with his suggestion, starting at a rally in Alabama on Friday and continuing on Twitter, that they should fire players who protest during the national anthem and calling on fans to boycott the league.
Until this week, the relationship between the National Football League’s owners and Trump was mostly a cozy one. Nine team owners donated money to Trump or to groups that supported him both during his campaign and since his election. Together they’ve given more than $10 million, according to the Federal Election Commission.
On Sunday, several of these Trump donors responded to his comments with words of rebuke and displays of solidarity with players. Ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars game with the Baltimore Ravens at Wembley Stadium in London, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan stood on the field during the Star-Spangled Banner, arms locked with two