New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees wrote a response to President Donald Trump's criticism of Brees' apologies after the 19-year NFL veteran initially said that he would "never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America" in response to a question regarding kneeling protests during the national anthem.
"To @realdonaldtrump. Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag," Brees wrote. "It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.