Colin Kaepernick may not be playing in the NFL but he has one enormous fan in Iran.
Kaepernick has spent two years without an NFL team after being released by the 49ers in 2016. In a rather unexpected move, the former firebrand leader of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, tweeted his support for Kaepernick on Monday. Ahmadinejad said, “The NFL season will start this week, unfortunately once again Kaepernick is not on a NFL roster. Even though he is one of the best Quarterbacks in the league.”
The #NFL season will start this week, unfortunately once again @Kaepernick7 is not on a NFL roster. Even though he is one of the best Quarterbacks in the league.#ColinKaepernick #NFL
— Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (@Ahmadinejad1956) September 3, 2018
Kaepernick famously began kneeling for the national anthem in order to protest police brutality and social injustice. Kaepernick’s kneeling stunt caused national outcry when the President of the United States, Donald Trump, began calling for those who kneeled during the anthem to be suspended or fired. The NFL has since revised its national anthem policy, ensuring that players on the field will be standing for the anthem.
Ahmadinejad has called for the elimination of Israel, denied the Holocaust and called the USA a “Great Satan” along with engaging in nuclear weapon brinksmanship.