House GOP mocks Kaepernick in tweet cheering on women’s national soccer team

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the campaign arm for House Republicans, mocked activist and former NFL player Colin Kaepernick in a tweet cheering on the U.S. women’s soccer team. 

The tweet calling Revolutionary War figure Betsy Ross a “strong, independent” woman followed Kaepernick’s reported influence on Nike’s decision to pull a shoe featuring a Ross-designed flag. It included an old clip of Kaepernick throwing a pick-six during his time as quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.

The women’s national soccer team is facing off against England in the semifinals of the 2019 World Cup on Thursday.{mosads}

Kaepernick, who has served as a spokesman for Nike, told the company that the Ross flag was an offensive symbol connected to an era of slavery, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, prompting swift backlash from conservatives, many of whom said they plan to boycott Nike. 

Kaepernick was the first NFL player in 2016 to kneel during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

His contract ended at the end of that season and he has not been signed by another NFL team.