the bosses of the nfl. how they have responded to the players expressing -- some expressing their concern about the social issues. also, why do you think the nba has been so different? apparently, the athletes in the nba get to speak out and say whatever they want and there's the reaction from the nba brass. it in the nfl, there is this real rigid nature to their response. >> i think the employers, you know, they have to listen -- whenever the workers are saying what they mean and stating for what they believe in, they have to start listening. a lot of the employers, they have never ever been in the position of a black male or hispanic male, so they don't understand it. they don't have the compassion. at first they were not willing to listen, and then it became an american conversation. they have to come and ask questions. slowly but surely, we started to turn those wheels and they started to say, ok, what can we do? there's a misconception that the nba is more aggressive than the nfl. the nba has more guar

tis isn't the first time we've heard the president outraged over the nfl. >> in my opinion, the nfl has to change. or you know what's going to happen? their business is going to go to hell. >> you have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you should be playing. you shouldn'te there. maybe you shouldn't be in the country. >> now, the only problem is the eagles did not take a knee during the national anthem. they did stand. and linked arms in a sign of unity and they were on the field, not in the locker room during the entire regular season. so let's go to the white house to our senior correspondent there, pamela brown, who is standing by in that briefing room. pamela, no eagles players took a knee in protest during the regular season, but this white house called off this whole thing pretty abruptly is my understanding yesterday. canou take us inside this decision? >> reporter: it certainly was abrupt, just a day before the philadelphia eagles team members were supposed to come here to the white house the white house released this statement saying that they were disinvited essentia

. >> mike james was starting in the nfl. a childhood dream finally coming true. a dream born years ago in a small town in central florida by a young boy and his single mom. >> my mom was a huge football fan. >> i heard. i heard. >> huge, huge, huge. >> she used to chase you down the sidelines. >> oh yeah. huge. and i got into football through her. i mean, she put me in it. she knew i needed something to do with all the energy i had. >> and something to keep him out of the trouble that mike says landed his absent father in and out of prison. that trouble was drugs. >> drugs tore my family. you know? so i wanted to just play football, go to school, stay in my books, not get in any trouble. >> by senior year he was one of the nation's top high school running backs, offered a full scholarship to the university of miami, a known launching pad to the nfl. >> my mom, she was crazy excited. i mean, it was everything that i ever hoped for. it was everything i wanted, you know? >> and then, overnight, mike lost his biggest fan. his mom died in a car accident during the hol

liz: the nfl thought they were coming up with a compromise.ey thought they were getting out of this issue. now this is not just a cultural issue but a business issue for the nfl and i will say this. trump has their number on it. they know it. e typical nfl fan is essentially very correlates very well to the typical trump voter. white male, certain income level , under $100,000 a year, skewing military. this is trump country that watches football and that's the vast majority something like 60- 70% of the nfl viewers made up of that profile, so the nfl is in p are the sponsors. now here is what we know on thursday there's going to be a pretty big meeting between major nfl sponsors and you're talking about ford, anheuser-busch, visa all these major sponsors. they're meeting with commissioner goodell. it's their annual meeti b the subtext this annual meeting which is usually a rah-r ah thing is this issue and this player protest issue which the nfl is threadhe needle on how it's affecting fan reaction a lot of fans still don't like, football fans

how do you think the nfl is handling this?o the players feel like the owners and the league have their backs, or do they feel as though they've yielded to the president's pressure? from the outside, it looks like the league folded. >> it depends on when you ask that question. if you asked me a month ago, i would have said that aft the players' coalition met during the winter with nfl owners and started working towards charitable efforts in their communities that began to address racial inequality, i would have said that the nfl stood strong in aot of ways against trump's verbal treatment. but just two weeks ago, they came up with a rule where teams would be fined if players deluring the national anthem. their only recourse if they wanted to protest, was to abstain and stay in the locker room. as done without the consultation of the players' coalition, an informal group that has been protesting during the national anthem over the past two years, beginning of course with colin kaepernick's fight to raise awareness and fight agai

in that venue as it relates to the nfl and the relationship the nfl has with our military and the aura, the cultural symbol of the nfl. >> it is not about how he feels about it. it is how he say and -- you just said the same point three times. i get that he doesn't like the venue. >> i'm really trying to answe your estion. is notrying on divide the country. he is trying to uppnite the country around this idea that the flag is held sacred. we should have an unconditional love of the country. as link on that that, it is the last best hope for mankind. every one of us has had an aspirational success with the country. there's been the slave of slavery, some levels of police brutality. i'm not saying it is perfect but it is way better than the other alternatives in the world. and all the president is saying is that we should have unconditional love for the flag and we should support it together. whatever our differences are, whatever we need to protestlet'. i think that's unifying. dividing. >> your problem, my friend. that's not what he's saying. he's saying if you don't addres. the flag i

. >> what's really behind the growing friction between the president and the nfl? >>> plus out of the ash. after the devastating eruptions in guatemala, a searing-hot cloud of ash enveloping entire towns. rescue workers racing against the clock, desperate to find life. at least 99 killed, 200 missing. the horror and the brute force of the infamous volcano of fire. >>> chill of a lifetime. he's been dreaming of this moment since he saw his first iceberg. now this veteran cliff diving plunging into the freezing waters of antarctica. why is he doing it and can he land on his feet? first the "nightline 5." >>> only tylenol rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast for fast pain relief. tylenol. >>> at pro plan, we believe nutrition is full of possibilities to improve your pet's life. we're redefining what nutrition can do, because the possibility of a longer life and a better life is the greatest possibility of all. purina pro plan, nutrition that performs. >> and number one is coming up in just 60 seconds. >>> good evening. tonight we tak

the troops love the nfl. and so, it i a little built dishonorable, to me, personally they're kneeling. the president takes it that way. and so i have no oblem, protesting, finding venues to do this, cly the nfl can work with the players outside of the arenas. >> i hear you, heard this before. not an uncommon argument. this is the president of the united states. what he is saying is, i will punish you if you have a different opinion. disinvite you from the people's house. that is not his no trump in the. he is saying you don't come, a move of division, and, isolation of a group of people that he has deemed unpatriotic. how its that presidential? how is that good for the country? >> so, so, again, he is the temporary occupant of that house. we h to give him some respect. if you have got, 45, 50 people. 35 of the 50 meem, from coming to the house. >> in general, sons of bitches who shoul be in the country. don't forget that. >> i mean, awe you are a new yorker. i am a new yorker. some times prone to embellishmen

this is trump bullying the nfl owners, the nfl owners look at these players as cattle. they tell them when to stand, tell them when they can stand, what they can't stand for, where they can stand. these players are saying i have a platform. i want no utilize my voice. i am no one's piece of chatle. i can raise my voice and express my first amendment rights like anyone else. this isn't the first team to do this. the golden state warriors said the hell with donald trump, too. and they went to the national n-american history museum instead. so you're starting to see players of color, players of conscious, even chris long come together and raise their voices like muhammad ali did. and we all praised muhammad ali because they forget the revolutionhe was. >> in the time, in the moment he wasn't necessarily celebrated. but history has been very kind to him and people see him for the hero that he was and is. listen, this all comes, scott, on the heels of the nfl seeming to appease the president by ruling that teams must stand during the national anthem or stay in the locker roo

league wide, i can tell you players are not happy about the nfl policy. they did not end this issue sdplch -- issue? >> what will happen in the fall? >> if anyone takes a knee, you look at a handful of players. the issue had largely gone away. >>> let's talk about rudy giuliani here. he was on with chris. this is the president's attorney. i'm curious what you think about sort of the information or misinformation and changing narrative that keeps coming from the president's attorney here. what is his job? is his job to be a spokesman or lawyer? i'm not sure. i'm confused by the information that comes from rudy giuliani. is that on purpose? >> i think rudy giuliani is waging president trump's legal battle in the court of public opinion right now. he is trying to push this narrative that the mueller investigation is illegitimate and foundation was bias somehow. he has been trying to go back and correct the record on some things, including the stormy daniels payment and reimbursement to michael cohen that was going to come out anyway. he has been on offense f

then nfl quarterback colin kaepernick's lead taking a knee during the national anthem in protest of police brutality. >> wouldn't you love to see one of these nfl owners when somebody disrespects our flag to say get that son of a bitch off the field right now. >> reporter: in the first few months of his presidency, donald trump managed to do something else that delighted white supremacists. it was his reaction to the white supremacists unite the right rally in charlottesville, virginia that left 32-year-old protester dead. >> there is blame on both sides. i have no doubt about it. you don't have doubt about it either. >> reporter: after backlash trump wavered on the statement but doubled down. now one of the organizers for the unite the right rally wants to have a rally in washington, d.c. and has applied for a permit. don? >> thank you. >>> when we come back, a white supremacist group is planning a rally not just in d.c. but across the street from the white house. what leads these people to be so emboldened? we'll discuss that.

against the nfl. we learned when the ig report will be out. the fbi and doj will be releasing it. next week. and it may cover much more than the hillary clinton email investigation. enticing. chuck grassley wants to find out if the fbi broke its own rule. bay trading the trump campaign. the video you have to see to believe. a big city mayor celebrating over a policy that brings death and destruction. first, the dems and the porn star. that's the focus of tonight's "angle." >> laura: the news keeps getting better and better for the country and the guy leading it. today the government reported that jobless claims fell in june to their lowest level in 44 years. layoffs are way down. near a 50 year low. and 223,000 jobs were added to the economy in may. voters are feeling the improvement in the economy and rewarding president trump with higher approval ratings. one poll has the president at 44% on par with reagan in 1982 and where obama was in 2010. pretty good. at the same time the president is trying to

the nfl has its own opinion.ave their own opinions and i think you haven't given enough coverage to, respectfully, the number of eagles players who do stand there with the hand over the heart and a number of eagles players voted for donald trump. >> i'm sure there are eagles players who voted for donald trump. and nick foles wanted to come to the white house. we made that clear. this is the issue of who gets to decide what is patriotic and some people are making -- >> no. >> it is in a way because the president has said it doesn't honor the troops that's patriotism. the president has said that. he's deciding what he thinks is patriotic and the people have looked at him yesterdayly not singing along with god bless america and that may seem trite, others, maybe it's not patriotic enough if you don't sing all the words to god bless america. >> i saw your earlier segment and i think a little bit -- well, speaking of unseemly, you didn't need to write that segment the way you did. but you like to. there's a lot of sna

more on the president's latest battle with the nfl.ng the philadelphia eagles of a political t. the first lady resurfaces after weeks out of the public eye. now we're learning details of the role she played in making mike pence vice-president of the united states. the digital divide is splitting this country. we have parents who are trying to get their kids off of too much social media and computers, and then we have parents who would only hope their children have access. middle school is a really key transition point, right. the stak s middle school is a really key transition point, right. students begin to really start thinking about their futures. what i like about verizon's approach is that it's not limited to just giving kids new tools, it's really about empowering educators to teach in different ways, and exposing kids to more active forms of learning. giving technology is not a total solution. teaching technology, now that is. do not mistake serenity for weakness. do not misjudge quiet tranquility for the power of 335 turbo-char

a planned nfl visit with the eagles. after he learned a small number of players and coaches would actually attend. replacing it on what he's calling a celebration of our country on the south lawn today. dis-inviting the eagles doesn't mean there'd be no protest. >> thank you very much everybody. appreciate it. >> the president ignoring shouted questions from reporters. >> do you have any messages for the athletes sir? >> are you saying the football players are not patriotic sir, is that what you're saying? >> will you have a meeting with them sir? >> will you meet with the athletes and talk to them? >> the white house calls all th are absolutely right. this is a political stunt. but not by the philadelphia eagles, by president of the united states. the man who said this. of these nfl owners, when somebody disrespects our flag to say get that son of a [ bleep ] off the field right now. out, he's fired, he's fired. >> like i said, this was absolutely a political stunt. a political stunt by the president. a source close to

we don't, the nfl players don't. it's disrespectful on top of that. it's always framed as a first amendment issue, which is a canard because it isn't. outside of that it's bad business, bad manners, disrespectful to our country. the nfl was a brand that was built in large manner on patriotism. >> for your analogy then if the guys who were protesting, they should fire them, is that what you're saying? because i could protest if i wanted to. i could hold up a sign here and my boss would decide to keep me or not. so are you saying they should just fire them? >> if you insist on a personal protest on company time, if you insist on subjecting the nfl, the fans, all of us to your protests, yes, you should be fired. now, you can protest all you want to your heart's desire when you're not at work. colin kaepernick can protest nonstop. and by the way it's because he went 1-10 in the last 11 starts in the nfl. >> that's what this case is all about? >> he's not in the league and he's welcome to do so because it's in his right. it's not within his rights to compe

in the short term this is bad for the nfl.the longer term, listen, i think there's something to the idea of living in a country where you t have massive amounts of political uncertainty, where you don't have -- where everything is not politicized. and if you run a business, even a business like the nfl or factory somewhere, you don't have to worry about being on the bad side of an elected leader that you'll get legislation against you or regulation or bad pr from a tweet. i don't think that's a great way to run a railroad. >> the nfl has a big problem because its fan base diverges from its player base and the players feel differently about this set of issues than the fans the owners have gone with president trump and big parts of the fan base, but thaton top of the concussion issues and t other marketing issues that the nfl has been dealing with make thomhey don't need, as jimmy said. >> one last thing, john. the league did change their policy and i hate to use this phrase, but is there a sense that the president moved the goa

liz: that was a competitor to the nfl. >> i don't think it's really. this is purely politics. liz: he had a beef with them. >> he's friends with the owners. kraft, jonathan's dad robert, i know very well, i know both of them. friends with robert kraft and jerry jones of the cowboys, making a transition here. liz: quick. >> on stuff on trade, there is a battle brewing between jamie dimon and the president on trade. they were once best friends. right now, rift. liz: you will have that tomorrow, we're at session highs, 312 point to the upside. stay tuned. we're coming right back. ♪ we came with big appetites. with expedia, you could book a flight, hotel, car, and activity all in one place. ♪ touch shows how we really feel. but does psoriasis ever get in the way? embrace the chance of 100% clear skin with taltz. up to 90% of those with moderate to severe psoriasis had a significant improvement of their psoriasis plaques. most people were still clearer after one year. with taltz, 4 out of 10 even achieved completely clear skin. don't use if you're allergic

nfl cheerleaders say they're thrilled just to make the squad.t's part of why this group of women say they've been taken advantage of for years. some former houston texans cheerleaders are banding together to sue the team. alleging a culture of harassment and claiming they were paid part-time wages for a full-time job. here's abc's linsey davis. >> they break you down. >> with the harassment and the mind games that they do. >> they make you scared so nobody wants to speak up. >> reporter: these former cheerleaders thought they'd landed the opportunity of a lifetime. dancing for the houston texans nfl team. >> they literally grabbed her stomach and pulled it down, duct taped her stomach. >> a man reaches over and runs his hand to the center of my crotch and grabs. >> reporter: the nine women now suing the team, alleging harassment and unfair pay. all part of a culture they say was meant to humiliate and intimidate them. >> you kind of learn to bite your tongue and deal with it. >> i was so thankful that i was chosen for that experience. now i just

again, we'll get to the nfl owners in a second. why do you think the basketball players are allowed to -- can do it without inoccurricurring the presidential wrath? >> the president is a bully. i think you know lebron james would fight him back. you know that steve kerr a, the fight back. they don't allow themselves to be bullied by anybody. you see that relationship. you see a great relationship between the league and the players and coaches. the difference between the nfl and the nba is that the nba has encouraged its players it use their voice. they don't find themselves at risk of losing their jobs and losing their can a rears reers. they have a national anthem policy. they don't kneel against the flag during the national anthem. they are encouraged to use their voice. you see the power of lebron j z james. he is not going to back down to the president. >> you see the nfl tell the players they must stand or stay in the dressing room. we know that some of the nfl leaders, owners, have said it's president trump and conversations

he bashed the eagles and all the players in the nfl last year.o there wasn't going to be anybody that came to the white house fanyway because why shoul they when they don't feel welcome? this is not over. the nfl players thought they were going to kill this but 45 looks as this is something that's going to win with his is is something that's going resonate during the mid-terms so he's going to keep this up. and this is not zblofr let -- o >> let me tell what you we're seeing on the screen. there were eagles players with their fists in the air. what didn't happen is them taking a kneel or staying in the locker room. fax showed a clip last night that showed some of these eagle players on their knees. >> they were praying. >> so they tweeted today, praying before games with my teammates well before the anthem is being used for yoor propaganda, just said. i feel like you guys should have been better than this. what do you make of this? >> it's my personal opinion that fox news is state news and they're playing to this narrative. >> i want to make thi

caber knick's is civil, a collusion case that involves the nfl.hink a criminal probe from the u.s. deputy of justice would tend to have more teeth. at that stage, if president trump were to say look i don't feel like i need to sit for a deposition, mike pence doesn't need the sit for a deposition nor does anybody else in my administration when it comes to collin kaepernick's fight with the nfl it would be up to the court system to decide whether or not it wants to hold president trump accountable. that's where this labyrinth comes in. we don't know what that hurdle is going the look like until it gets here. >> you saw the president before he left for the g7. we played that he was saying i'm going to talk to those who may have been treated wrongly is what he is saying. i'm going to find out who they know. and i may consider them for pardons. put that all together for us. >> i don't want to speak for colin kaepernicker any of the other players who have protested. but i will say this, this idea of crowd sourcing celebrities for pardons or what each l

you're saying the nfl is injecting politics here? >> absolutely, yes. i'm saying from the players to the commissioner, the nfl, ever since last season, i'm a football fanatic, i love this game, most aricans do, it is part of our dna, it is really too bad that the nfl has infected the game with so much protest and so much political unnecessary political injections and unfortunately they're doing it again here. >> so, charles, i'm going to go out on a limb and say you don't necessarily agree with that. how do you respond to that? >> i go back a mor fundamental question which is that this president has a very long history of using -- of attacking black and brown people, and by using a kind ofh whether through police officers, whether that be through immigration, border patrol agents, ice agents or the military. he's doing it yet again and what he has never done as far as i can recall is ever addressed the underlying point that they're protesting, which is this police force agack and brown people justified or not? not once, and every time he even deals with

particularly when it comes to the nfl. it is not about a particular team, it is about having pride in our country. >> reporter: that, despite the fact that none of the players on the eagles team that -- that won the super bowl took a knee during the regular season and one eagles player said was never mentioned in the meeting with the white house. and an administration official said the president has made the calculation that the national anthem issue is a good campaign issue to revive because he believes it will help republicans ahead of the midterm election and as for today, it was also a way to deflect from the fact so few players wanted to be seen ate house with the president. jake. >> thanks so much. >>> the white house claiming that the vast majority of the eagles, quote, abandoned their fans. cnn jason carroll che with those in philadelphia. >> you flow the city of brotherly love isg prt trumpn the mayor chief of staff tweets this -- our party was bigger than yours. then there is the philadelphia mayor himself. whose

by the way, look at the nfl today.k at the new rule requiring players to stand or go hide the locker ro the owner of the new york jet offered to pay the fines for any player that protests the anthem. i have had it. i am suppoto tune into a football game and watch people who make a lot of money mak statement. not the eagles in this case. but they made a political statement regarding the white house. the flag is honoring men and reach.who died for their count look what roger goodell and other nfl owners have done. i am done with the t. i am done with the nfl. i like college football. unless members of the national football league gain the respect for the flag and those who bled and died fighting under that flag, i am finished. today the president hosted a celebration featuring the marine band and americans have so much to celebrate inclung the booming economy. wow! so different than just 501 d ago. take a look. >> our c has nev done better than it's doing right now. never! record numbers in every outpost. you look at wha

i think the nfl is just fine. teams are standing by their players. to try to type thisnto president trump and call him a racist and that he wants to tell black people to shut up is just completely out of line. >> brian: if the politico story is true, it looks like a scripted event to embarrass the president. give me 85 passive, 70 passes, the mascot and the owner. it's a scripted attempt to embarrass te hou. >> juan: what hns when the players show up and trumped stan's parents is these guys are supporting me. please. they don't want to be used. >> kimberly: why did they say 80 are going to con may pull -- it's like a bait and switch. he shows up and there's the goofy mcot and poor jesse and his dad. >> greg: that's why this is so pointless. >> brian: there is a lot of news to talk about. >> greg: rodman is going to north korea and you say trump doesn't listen. >> kimberly: now for some bad news. key primaries in eight states. out why when we return. your brain changes as you get older. but prevagen helps your brain with an ingredient originally disco

soon, the nfl -- requires players to stand for the anthem, or force their teen to pay a fine. the nfl says personnel who choose not to stand may stay in the locker room until after the anthem is performed. jackie ward, kpix 5. two the nfl's system arbitrator has to first determine whether these depositions are necessary. at the lawyers make it past that stage, they would have to argue their case in a district court. >>> president trump is focused on his upcoming summit with north korean dictator kim jong- un. he is hosting japanese prime minister, shinzo abe at the white house, where the two will discuss the upcoming meeting in singapore. we have details from the nation's capital. >>reporter: japanese prime minister, shinzo abe, arrives at the white house today for meetings with president trump at the two have a lot to discuss ahead of next week's planned summit between mr. trump and north korean dictator, kim jong-un. trump and shinzo abe agree the ultimate goal needs to be the complete shutdown of north korea's nuclear and -- most missile program. a deal could still leave ja

the eagle the represent the best of the nfl. malcolm jenkins has been the leader of this group that will now have $150 millio0 million at their disposal to help do criminal justice reform and social justice. chris long donated every paycheck, 16 game checks to charity as a way of making a statement. carson wentz, $500,000 for haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake. to them, to donald trump, they're sons of bitches. and they're that because they don't kneel to him. this is an imperial presidency. putting the democracy at risk. there isn't just today's example. we have four of them today. it's just this evening's example. >> what do you think? >> i think the major was really eloquent and speaks for a lot of americans, and i think joe is right, there's only one metric donald trump uses above all others to judge people. that's how readily and expansively. he is so demonized nfl players and done so in such an gratuitous way and some of them didn't want to come. his response is okay, none of you come. of the united states to be the

nfl players love their country, support our troops." malcolm jenkins, an advocate wrote "it's hard to meet with people who don't agree with you and to have tough conversations about uncomfortable race related issues and make positive change." this is what is my leagues and i have been facing for the past two years. instead the decision was made to lie and paint the picture these players are anti-american, anti-flag and anti-military. philadelphia mayor jim kenny expressed pride in the hope town players blast add the president. >> well, the eagles are still world champions regardless where they're going today. i'm very proud of our team and proud of the organization for their involvement in the community. donald trump is meaningless to this whole process. it's meaningless -- he's meaningless to the city and the city's success. he tries at every chance he gets to tear cities down and eventually he'll be gone. one way or the other. we'll move on. >> i'm joined by donte stallworth, a veteran of the nfl who played for the eagles, david xi ro

with the nfl.football day is saturday. i like college football. until and unless members of the national football league gain respect for the flag in this country and those that sacrificed, bled, and died fighting under that flag, i am finished. instead of celebrating a football team today, the president rightly hosted a celebration for america featuring, yeah, the marine corps band and the army chorus. today americans have so to celebrate includiming economy. wow, so different than just 501 take t a look. >> our country has never been done better than it is doing or not. never. record numbers at every outpost. you take a look at what is going on, lowest employment numbers, african-american unemployment in the history of our country. lowest hisc-ameran numbers in the history o country. lowest numbers for women and 21 years. we have created $7 trillion of election with the largeste the economy in the world and getting a lot larger and fast. it happened veryly actually, quicker than i evenn thought.

a check of nfl tv ratings down 10% year-over-year blamed on the increase in streaming.f marquee matchups and the anthem protests. >>> lawrence reuters is reporting that the president is looking at 3,000 cases that might deserve clemency. your reaction there? >> this is the donald trump i know. i have been put in a tough position because i believe we should stand for the anthem. i understand when it comes to criminal justice reform things that need to be done in the criminal justice system. i knew president trump before he became president, people he had relationships with in the count, hip-hop stars, athletes, actors, they had a way of communicating with each other. i'm proud to see my president. this is what i've been calling for, to bring the athletes in, not only to commute sentences but criminal justice reform at large. this is the president being the president of the united states and leading from the front. liz: you know, to your point, lawrence, the president criticized for calling nfl players s.o.b.'s, personally attack them. that was the criticism there. eagles

mark, isn't this what nfl players wanted to bring attention to? >> exactly. while the president is making this a distraction by suggesting players are protesting the flag or being unpatriotic, what they were actually trying to do is shine a spotlight on police terrorism, and this is disgusting and no excuse for it. that's what i love donald trump to speak out against, since he's using twitter all the time, speak out against this. >> what do you say? >> i think it's time for people to come together on this and find common ground. and i think everybody needs to take a step back for a moment and not make it so personal. initially i agree this was about police brutality. but the reality is the biggest day of protest was by nfl players against donald trump. it was after he spoke out against the players. it was not about police brutality. colin kaepernick has his own problems wearing communist t-shirts and wearing socks depicting police as pigs. that's a fact. >> dan, what are you talking about? >> listen to what i'm saying, don. >> i listened to what you said -- >

there were phone calls between trump and a number of nfl owners.that raises a question of whether trump also weighed in on kaepernick. this might seem far fetched, but this is not the only case we see someone trying to subpoena the president, this is really interesting because kaepernick has been essentially shut out of the nfl. he wants to know why. he wants to make this -- this has become a political matter because the president has used the kneeling protest to his advantage so he's going after it. >> see where this goes. thank you. >>> coming up for us, a disturbing medical mystery moves to china. some u.s. diplomats there now heading home for health screenings after concerns of reports of mysterious incidents similar to the cuba sonic attacks. new details coming in. that's next. ♪ approaching medicare eligibility? you may think you can put off checking out your medicare options until you're sixty-five, but now is a good time to get the ball rolling. keep in mind, medicare only covers about eighty percent of part b medical costs. the rest is up

the nfl is not hurting financially. but i do think that the nfl is a company or a property that appeals to all americans. and it's hard when you have someone baiting 10, 15% of your fans and trying to divide them. >> and dividing the players versus the owners and the racial undertones there. the president thinks far too much about ratings, still post reality show, and not enough about the republic and uniting it. that's his job. that's his job. he doesn't seem to get his head around that. this is personally people. people weren't coming to my party so i'm cancelling it and slap a culture war political argument on it. >> you can't dump me because i dump you. >> this is mean girls again. >> don't forget, he wanted to be part of the group of owners and the nfl shut him down. he will never forget that. he will never forget that. >> the philadelphia papers actually had headlines that i think are worth looking at right now. one of the papers says trump dumps eagles because to him size matters. and nixing eagle's visit trump a

this continues to be a crisis for the nfl. that is the most significant thing about the tweets last night. beyond this particular controversy, he also said staying in the locker room doesn't fix the problem. that was the gesture that the nfl made a couple weeks ago thinking they came up with a compromise or something to make thent stand down ons issue that has so inflamed the nfl fan base. instead, the president and there were some in the president's orbit declang victory and liked the nfl seemed to have backed down. now you have the president saying no. i see it as the same thing. this staying in the locker room gestu gesture. it is just as bad. he is reigniting and continuing the war on the nfl in the way i think will be very alarming for the league. >> listen to the mayor of philadelphia who had been aggressive in his response. no, mr. president, america doesn't work that way. you don't get to say my way or the highway. >> i'll take my ball and go home is what he is saying. it is his unless you kneel to me or pay homage to

like everything is tainted by politics, award shows or the nfl.at is really interesting, whether you like president trump or not, he wins fights. look at the nfl's approval rating. it's 42%. it used to 62%. and look at cnn. they had a facts first campaign. look at the fight in congress over daca. president trump won it over democrats trying to shut the government down over daca. republicans never win those fights. whether you like him or not, he wins fights. >> chris, i want your thought. a disconnect on the media and celebrities that have millions of followers. many of them support colin kaepernick and you see that and you think the majority must be on their side as well. that's seems where the popularity is. and then you see the poll numbers. you see a disconnect where the country is. >> it's all just fad. it's as a sad of a thing that i can think about that our anthem, these moments have become a battleground and exploited by people on both sides for their own political benefit and to advantage themselves in this situation. this week was flag d

the controversy stems from the nfl kneeling. unfortunately only a small number of players decided to come and we cancelled the event. stayingnhe locker room during the national anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling, sorry. >> reporter: this is an extraordinary develop. ment. the president resended invitation because players were not going to show up. and the players disagree with the president because they insist they stand with hand on heart. the president is still going to hold an event for the thousand or so people who were invited at least to show up this afternoon. and the president going on a twitter terror. and that is at 3:00 p.m. and the united states army chorus. honoring the america nfl. no escaping to locker room. and theers gave them the option to stay in the locker room. the jill lock hart put the hard tackle on the president this morning. listen here. >> i think it is the latest example of the imperial presidency and how trump sees himself. last i checked it was not his house and he doesn't get to

donald trump taking aim at the nfl. this is very easy for him to do.league that's 70% black. you have a league that didn't alhim to becomer back in the '80s. he loves to play the hits. when he says something about the nfl and talks about players, it doesn't matter who stayed in locker room or who kneeled or who took a fist. he noknows he can say that and stoke the flames with his base. >> there was a white house statement saying we will proudly be playing the national anthem and other music at 3:00 p.m. the white house with the united states marine band honoring nfl no escaping to locke rooms. they will have an event at 3:00 when they would have been welcoming the eagles. do we know what this event will be? >> the white house is saying it will be a celebration of the american flag with eagles fa this statement really walks through the president's thinking when it comes to the optics of this. he did not want to be standing in a room with several representatives full team of nfl players. kpiends as a result he's now having this event and part of that sta

and the nfl for some reason does not recognize that. >> we'll leave it there.on nichols, thank you, danny, thanks for sticking around. >>> who has the president not ticked off ahead of the summit? right now, he's meeting with japan's prime minister shinzo abe. they'll be holding a joint press conference. we know the two of them are talking about this summit that's going to happen in singapore next week. right side of your screen, shinzo abe, the prime minister of japan, and president trump at the portico. welcome to holiday inn! thank you! ♪ ♪ wait, i have something for you! every stay is a special stay at holiday inn. save up to 15% when you book early at hollidayinn.com there's nothing more% important than your health.rly so if you're on medicare or will be soon, you may want more than parts a and b here's why. medicare only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. you might want to consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like any medicare supplement insurance plan, th

but also placing blame at the nfl's feet. we are labor and the nfl is management. been a source of frustration for us and for the commission for some time now. responding to the players union the nfl tells us, quote, we are not aware of recommendations from that committee or the nfl p.a. to improve our programs and it says it continues to educate its staff, team, players and the public about domestic violence and sexual assault prevention as well as identifying steps that can prevent them before they occur. >> not aware at all? >> what's that? >> not aware at all? >> not aware of what that committee was doing but the nfl p.a. was doing one thing and the nfl might have other committees so might be a communication gap there. >> okay, ryan, thanks very much. >>> let's go over to amy. >> all right, george. thank you. >>> turning to an important new warning for drivers. aaa out with a new report about driving on worn tires in wet weather and how it could but you at significant risk. our senior transportation expert david kerley has all those details you need to know. go

nfl still dealing with the national anthem issue. the latest on that straight ahead. >>> the eagles are grounded. president trump canceled the champs visit to the white house over the national anthem controversy. >>> and special counsel robert mueller accuses paul manafort of witnmpering. prosecutors want him in jail until trial. >>> i don't subscribe to that taking over the world. i worry much more about people thinking like machines. >> candid apple ing about phone usage. it could change your lifestyle. >> good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm christine romans. >> i'm dave briggs. it's tuesday, june 5th. it is 5:00 a.m. in the east. we start with the nfl with the new national anthem policy, but same old problem. the president of the united states. here is a quote. our president is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and

nfl no escaping to locker rooms.oining us now, former nfl players donte stallworth and nate boyer. thanks for being with us right now. donte, i want to start with you, what appears to have happened is a dozen or fewer eagles were actually going to go to the white house, so the president basically said, you know, you can't dump me, i dump you. why were the eagles players in your mind making that decision not to go? >> well, the players talked about it eloquently throughout the season. these guys from the philadelphia eagles have been working on a number of criminal justice reform issues. they've been working on a number of policing issues by going on their off days, going to speak with legislatures in pennsylvania, going to speak with police chiefs, so these players have been proactive and the president obviously does not agree with the tactics of some players that have been taking a neer knee, but i think it's ironic to note that none of the philadelphia eagles during the season last year have taken a knee. you have

the nfl players were addressing the issue of the need for police reform. and the fact that so many unarmed african-american law abiding individuals have been either the victims of excessive force and in some tragic instances, killed often for all of america and the world to see on camera without any accountability in the criminal justice system. so nothing that the president has just suggested would deal with that issue. of the need to strengthen the relationship between the police and the community. now there are problems with our broken criminal justice system. we have a mass incarceration epidemic. there are people who have been wrongfully convicted or who are imprisoned much longer for crimes that they may have committed in the case of the most recent presidential pardon. those are legitimate issues to put on the table. let's look at everything as it relates to the reasons for the nfl protest. >> congressman hakeem jeffreys, thank you so much. >>> next, what to make of rudy giuliani's talking about kim jong un to the stormy daniels situation, what's th

. >>> president trump has made nfl players kneeling during the national anthem a hot button political that he may be ready to listen to what those players have to say, at least that's his challenge when it comes to pardons. >> i am going to ask all of those people to recommend to me, because that's what they are protesting, people that they think were unfairly treated by the justice system, and i understand that. and i'm going to ask them to recommend to me people that were unfairly treated, friends of theirs and people that they know about. >> so was this an invitation at the table, was it a challenge, was it an insult? joining me right now, cnn contributor cornell brooks, former president and ceo of the naacp. the president rather spontaneously expressed that on the lawn. when you heard it, how did you hear it? what did you hear from that? >> i was offended. i think i'm not alone. based on the president's past actions and his own admissions, that is to say his willingness to use patriotism as a political prop, his invitation to nfl players to report who knelt on the field, to provid