For the liberal media, President Donald Trump's congratulatory tweet to a white college football player drafted into the NFL was too good to be true. The African-American quarterback drafted No. 1 did not get a social media shout-out from the president, offering further "confirmation" of the ongoing Trump-as-racist media narrative.
TMZ Sports ran a headline accusing President Trump of blatant racism:
"DONALD TRUMPDOG WHISTLES TO BASE... OVER NICK BOSA"
A Time magazine headline says the nation's No. 1 sports fan plays favorites based on race, but the truth appears nine paragraphs deep in the story when writers Tara Law and Peter Allen Clark confess it's really about politics.
The Time headline reads: "Kyler Murray, a Black Man, Was the Number One NFL Draft Pick. Trump Congratulated the Number Two Pick Instead." Murray is a quarterback who was drafted Thursday night by the Arizona Cardinals, and he's been shamed for social media posts about sexual orientation, rather than politics. Nick Bosa, a defensive lineman from Ohio State drafted No. 2 by San Francisco, has drawn media opposition for his Twitter support of Trump and for calling Colin Kaepernick a "clown."
It's not surprising that Trump would crow about a high-profile athlete who supports him, but there is no indication of race-based anti-Murray sentiments by the president. Trump's Bosa tweet reads:
“Congratulations to Nick Bosa on being picked number two in the NFL Draft,” Trump tweeted. “You will be a great player for years to come, maybe one of the best. Big Talent! San Francisco will embrace you but most importantly, always stay true to yourself. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The Time writers social media-shame Bosa this way, making him out to be a racist Trump supporter because he mocked Colin Kaepernick and dislikes Beyonce's music and the movie Black Panther:
"Bosa, who is white, has been criticized for releasing a number of tweets some have seen as racially charged. The tweets, which have since been deleted, describe Black Panther as the 'worst Marvel movie'; describe Beyonce’s music as 'trash,' and call former 49ers player Colin Kaepernick a 'clown.' He was also criticized for 'liking' many Instagram posts with racist and homophobic slurs."
Bosa also called former President Ronald Reagan and Trump the greatest of all time, further marking himself for media destruction.
Then when paragraph nine finally arrives: "Trump has often offered praise to athletes who have vocally supported him, and shunned those who have spoken out against his presidency." This includes Trump's friendship with golfer Tiger Woods, whom he praised on social media after the Master's.
Readers who didn't go as far as this paragraph are left only with the conclusion that Trump disdains black athletes like Murray and adores white athletes like Bosa, which isn't the truth.
In paragraph 12, the Time writers portray President Trump as one who "has lashed out at athletes who don’t seem to hold his presidency in high regard." Obama-supporting NBA players Steph Curry and LeBron James and NFL anthem protesters are cited as examples. Time also posted Tweets by several people accusing Trump of racism for favoring Bosa over Murray.
Realizing he would likely be drafted by Kaepernick's old 49ers' team and play in an extremely left-wing environment, Bosa has more recently decided to go along to get along. He apologized for criticizing Kaepernick and praised his stand for social justice.
