Report: Trump seeks summit with Colin Kaepernick, Kanye West
President Trump is “enthusiastic” about a potential series of racial summits with Colin Kaepernick and Kanye West, among others. At least, that’s the interpretation of Rev. Darrell Scott, an outside presidential advisor who met with Trump on Thursday during the National Day of Prayer. Let’s break this down.
What would these summits involve?
Scott, a Cleveland-based pastor, told People magazine that President Trump is on board with two racial summits, one for musicians and one for athletes, to allow both sides to air their thoughts and grievances and, in theory, bridge racial divides in America. “He is 100 percent for it,” Scott said of Trump. “He was very enthusiastic about it.”
Scott would like to see the summits bring forth some real talk. “We don’t want to sanitize it. I want people from the left to attend. I want it to get heated, but I want it to be respectful,” Scott told People. “I want them to see and know the Donald Trump I know and they will say, ‘This guy isn’t who I’ve been led to believe he is.’”
When would these summits take place?
The summits would take place during the summer, sometime between the end of the NBA Finals and the start of the NFL season. These summits can get fiery, and it’s a safe bet that famous athletes and politicians wouldn’t be as intimidated by the White House as standard-issue everyday Americans like you and me. The question for the White House, then, is whether the benefits of extending an olive branch would be the potential blowback if the president got into an exchange with a prominent ideological opponent.
What would be discussed?
Given the fact that these summits are still only a theory — the White House has declined to comment on them — it’s premature to speculate on any definitive topics. But it’s a safe bet that, in a sports context, President Trump’s infamous September 2017 speech in which he called for the firing of any player who kneeled would be an issue. That speech, and Trump’s many, many, many subsequent tweets, stoked his base’s anger against the NFL and its players.
“It’s going to be unscripted, unfiltered, blunt,” Scott said, according to Politico. “No topic is off the table.”
Would Kaepernick actually attend?
It’s unclear if Kaepernick has even been invited, or if he’s just on Scott’s wish list. He’s currently in the midst of a collusion suit against the NFL that indirectly involves Trump, and that could mitigate any appearance at the White House.
What’s the next step?
Scott says the details of the summits will be finalized next week. By that point, we may hear whether the White House has signed off on this, and whether it will become a reality.
____
Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Falcons sign QB Ryan to jaw-dropping extension
• Steelers make classy $8M gesture to Shazier
• ‘Weird’ playoff schedule bothering LeBron
• Ichiro’s 2018 season over, will move to front-office role
