On Sunday afternoon, Vice President Mike Pence attended an NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers. After noticing that some of the players were continuing to protest during the national anthem, Pence walked out of the stadium and caused a media frenzy in the process.
Fox News on Pence
It's no secret that Donald Trump has been quick to speak his mind, regardless of the nature of the issue or whether or not it makes others uncomfortable. The president's current war of worlds with the National Football League (NFL) started last month when he bad mouthed those who took part in protesting the national anthem before games.
Trump labeled the players who protest as a "son of bitch," while urging team owners to go as far as firing anyone who takes a knee. The back and forth continued, with top sports stars like the NBA's LeBron James speaking out in opposition to the president, causing an even greater divide among the American people. Trump supporters and other conservatives vowed to boycott the NFL, which appeared to take place when Mike Pence walked out of an NFL game on Sunday in what has since been revealed to be a PR stunt set up by the president. These issues were discussed with Kellyanne Conway during the October 9 edition of "Fox & Friends" on Fox News.
Joining the hosts of "Fox & Friends" on Monday morning, Presidential Counsel Kellyanne Conway was asked about the Mike Pence walkout during the Indianapolis Colt vs San Francisco 49ers game.
Host Steve Doocy pointed out the increased criticism of Pence's actions, citing it being a "political stunt" and questioning how much it cost taxpayers to fund the incident. Conway insisted that Pence was there to watch former Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning be honored before the game, saying of the protests, "Let me tell you something, I've known the vice president and Mrs.
Pence for a decade...it takes a lot to get that man's blood boiling."
VP Pence’s trip on Air Force 2 to an NFL game he left after protests during the anthem cost $242,500, CNN reports. https://t.co/Mvcijji8vs
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) October 9, 2017
Kellyanne Conway went on to explain what the flag means to herself, Mike Pence, and other conservatives before noting, "To call that a political stunt is truly outrageous, egregious and offensive." “When did the vice president and the president talk about doing this?" Steve Doocy then asked.
After Conway pointed out that Trump and Pence speak "everyday," the Fox News host pressed her again, asking "so they worked this out last week?" "Hold on!" Conway fired back, while stating, "They talk every day. And they certainly have talked about this issue."
Moving forward
Despite Kellyanne Conway deflecting from the issue, Donald Trump took to his own Twitter account on Monday morning and confirmed that it was "long planned" for Mike Pence to attend the NFL game and walk out after the national anthem protests. As reported by CNN, the flight on Air Force One for the vice president cost taxpayers over $242,000, which didn't take into account other expenses, such as Secret Service protection.