While Donald Trump devotes an enormous amount of time and passion blasting NFL players who peacefully exercise their first amendment rights, it's telling that he has refused to take the same approach with white supremacist demonstrators who hatefully and violently exercise theirs.
This comes during the same week the president took a much tougher stance against NFL players who continued to protest during the national anthem as pre-season football kicked off.
On MSNBC on Saturday, Eddie Glaude, chairman of the Center for African American studies, pointed out the disturbing difference in Trump's rhetoric.
"He comments about NFL players exercising their constitutional rights but he says nothing about the white nationals who are coming to D.C.," Glaude said.
A second "Unite the Right" rally is scheduled to take place in the nation's capital tomorrow.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand what's going on here.
Trump has repeatedly gone after black NFL players, while largely ignoring white supremacists, because it keeps his base riled up. It ensures that his supporters always have something to quench their thirst for anger.
Not to mention the fact that unequivocally denouncing racism serves him no purpose politically since many of his supporters subscribe to that hatred.
Throughout all of this, the most racist and vile elements of American society have been given new oxygen by a president who repeatedly sympathizes with them and attacks NFL players for peacefully exercising their rights.