Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Most Controversial Responses from the White House Press Briefing

It’s a Tuesday evening in late September 2016, and the air in downtown Atlanta is thick with the kind of humidity that clings to your skin like a second layer. The Georgia Dome, just a stone’s throw from the CNN Center, is quiet—no game tonight, no roaring crowds, no marching bands. But inside the homes and barbershops of Sweet Auburn, the conversation is anything but quiet. On TVs mounted above the counter at Busy Bee Café, on radios in the cabs idling outside Hartsfield-Jackson, and in the group chats of Morehouse and Spelman students, one name keeps surfacing: Colin Kaepernick. Not for his arm, not for his reads, but for his knee. And now, a year later, the White House is weighing in—not with nuance, not with policy, but with a rhetorical grenade that’s about to land in the laps of every Atlantan who’s ever laced up cleats, stood for the anthem, or wondered what it means to be both Black and American in a city that birthed both Martin Luther King Jr. And the modern civil rights movement.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ words from today’s press briefing aren’t just political theater—they’re a litmus test for how Atlanta, a city that prides itself on being the cradle of the New South, will grapple with the fallout. When she dismissed NFL protests as unrelated to race, then doubled down by suggesting players should protest the officers protecting them rather than the flag, she didn’t just misread the room. She misread the nation. And in Atlanta, where the echoes of 1968’s sanitation workers’ strike still reverberate through the halls of City Hall, her comments aren’t abstract. They’re personal.

The Protest That Never Left Atlanta

Kaepernick’s protest didn’t start in Atlanta, but it found fertile ground here. The city’s history of activism—from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to the Atlanta University Center’s role in the Black Lives Matter movement—has long blurred the line between sports and social justice. When the Falcons took the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this season, the sight of players kneeling wasn’t just a national story; it was a local one, too. The team’s owner, Arthur Blank, issued a statement supporting players’ right to protest, a move that aligned with Atlanta’s self-image as a progressive Southern city. But Blank’s stance also set him at odds with the White House’s framing, which Sanders reinforced today: that kneeling is an affront to patriotism, not a call for justice.

What Sanders failed to acknowledge—and what Atlantans know all too well—is that the protest isn’t about the flag. It’s about what the flag is supposed to represent. In a city where the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park draws millions of visitors each year, the disconnect between the ideals of equality and the reality of racial disparities in policing, education, and economic opportunity isn’t theoretical. It’s visible in the contrast between the gleaming skyline of Midtown and the persistent poverty in neighborhoods like Vine City, just a mile away. When Kaepernick knelt, he wasn’t rejecting the anthem; he was demanding that the country live up to it. And in Atlanta, that demand resonates.

The Hypocrisy Playbook: From Charlottesville to the 50-Yard Line

Sanders’ most revealing moment came when she was pressed on the disparity between Trump’s response to NFL protests and his reluctance to condemn white supremacists in Charlottesville. Her deflection—“I think if the debate for them is really about police brutality, then they should protest the officers on the field that are protecting them”—wasn’t just tone-deaf. It was a masterclass in how the White House weaponizes patriotism to silence dissent. For Atlantans, this tactic isn’t new. The city has spent decades navigating the tension between its progressive reputation and its deep-seated racial inequities. When Sanders suggested that protesting police brutality is incompatible with respecting the flag, she was echoing a narrative that has been used to dismiss Black activism since the days of the Atlanta Compromise.

But here’s the thing: Atlanta doesn’t buy it. The city’s police department, like many across the country, has its own fraught history with communities of color. The 2016 shooting of Jamarion Robinson, a 26-year-old Black man killed by a task force that included Atlanta police, sparked protests and calls for accountability. The officers involved were never charged. When Sanders implied that players should direct their protests at the officers on the field, she ignored the reality that, in cities like Atlanta, those officers are often part of the same systems that activists are challenging. The Atlanta Police Department’s own Use of Force Policy has been a subject of debate, with advocates pushing for reforms to reduce racial disparities in policing. Sanders’ comments didn’t just misrepresent the protest; they erased the very systems it seeks to change.

The First Amendment and the Southern Strategy

Sanders’ insistence that Trump’s criticism of NFL players has “nothing to do with race” is a textbook example of the Southern Strategy’s modern iteration. By framing the protests as a matter of patriotism rather than justice, the White House is tapping into a long tradition of using symbolic gestures—like standing for the anthem—to police Black expression. In Atlanta, where the civil rights movement was as much about reclaiming symbols as it was about changing laws, this strategy is particularly galling. The city’s Black leaders, from John Lewis to Stacey Abrams, have spent decades fighting for the right to both critique the country and love it. When Sanders claimed that Trump’s comments were about “pride in our country,” she was ignoring the fact that, for many Atlantans, pride and protest aren’t mutually exclusive. They’re two sides of the same coin.

This tension is playing out in real time across the city. At Grady High School, where students have staged walkouts in solidarity with NFL players, the debate isn’t just about the anthem. It’s about what it means to be a young Black person in a city that celebrates its civil rights legacy but still struggles with racial inequity. At Morehouse College, where Kaepernick’s protest has been a topic of classroom discussion, professors are grappling with how to teach the next generation of leaders to navigate these contradictions. And at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King once preached, the question isn’t whether to stand for the anthem, but how to make the country worthy of standing for.

The Local Fallout: What Atlantans Require to Know

Given my background in covering the intersection of sports, politics, and civil rights, I’ve seen how national narratives play out on the ground in cities like Atlanta. If you’re an Atlantan watching this unfold, here’s what you need to understand: the White House’s framing of the NFL protests isn’t just about football. It’s about power. It’s about who gets to define patriotism, who gets to demand change, and who gets to decide what’s “appropriate.” And in a city like Atlanta, where the past and present are constantly colliding, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

So where do you go from here? If this issue resonates with you—whether as a fan, a parent, an activist, or just a concerned citizen—here are the three types of local professionals who can help you navigate the complexities of this moment:

Civil Rights and Constitutional Law Attorneys

Atlanta is home to some of the nation’s most respected civil rights attorneys, many of whom have experience navigating the legal complexities of protest, free speech, and police accountability. If you’re an athlete, student, or community organizer facing backlash for your stance on social justice issues, these attorneys can help you understand your rights and the potential legal risks. Look for firms with a track record of representing clients in cases involving the First Amendment, police misconduct, or workplace discrimination. The ACLU of Georgia is also a valuable resource for legal guidance, and advocacy.

Community Organizers and Activist Networks

Atlanta’s history of activism didn’t end with the civil rights movement. Today, organizations like the Atlanta chapter of Black Lives Matter, the Southerners On New Ground (SONG), and the Atlanta March for Our Lives are leading the charge on issues of racial justice, police reform, and youth activism. These groups can connect you with local campaigns, provide training on effective protest strategies, and offer a platform to amplify your voice. If you’re looking to receive involved, start by attending a meeting or event hosted by one of these organizations. They’re often the best way to plug into the broader movement.

Sports Agents and Player Advocates with Social Justice Experience

For athletes—whether professional, collegiate, or high school—the decision to protest can have career-altering consequences. Atlanta is home to a growing number of sports agents and advocates who specialize in helping athletes navigate the intersection of sports and social justice. These professionals can provide guidance on how to communicate your stance to teams, sponsors, and fans, as well as help you leverage your platform for maximum impact. Look for agents with experience representing clients who have taken public stands on social issues, and who understand the unique pressures faced by athletes of color. Organizations like the NFL Players Association and the NCAA also offer resources for athletes looking to engage in activism.

This isn’t just about a single press briefing or a single protest. It’s about how Atlanta—and cities like it—will respond to a moment that demands more than just symbolic gestures. It’s about whether we’ll allow patriotism to be weaponized against the very people it claims to represent. And it’s about whether we’ll have the courage to confront the contradictions that define our city, our country, and our time.

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