With Trump's poll approval of his job numbers dropping from 42% in March to 35% in June to 32% this month according to an Associated Press poll (http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...its-32-percent), he is ginning up the national anthem sports protests issue as a diversion and an attempt to keep at least his core base on side.

Yesterday, VP Mike Pence walked out of the SF 49ers Indianapolis Colts game in an effort to further divide the two sides of the issue and keep his core supporters angry. Pence had advised reporters in advance to remain in their van as he did not expect to be staying long at the game. As safety Eric Reid of the 49 ers said, this was a PR stunt. Trump himself confirmed this when he said the walkout was planned.

President Trump said Vice President Pence is getting “great praise” for walking out of an NFL game after some San Francisco 49ers’ players kneeled during the national anthem and acknowledged the trip was “long planned.”
“The trip by @VP Pence was long planned. He is receiving great praise for leaving game after the players showed such disrespect for country!,” Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday.
http://nypost.com/2017/10/09/trump-a...football-game/


Count San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid among those unhappy with Vice President Mike Pence's actions on Sunday..
After Pence left the Indianapolis Colts' game against the 49ers minutes after 23 San Francisco players kneeled for the national anthem, Reid said he believed the series of events was an orchestrated effort.
"This looks like a PR stunt to me," Reid said of Pence's exit. "He knew we had the most players protest. He knew that we were probably going to do it again. And so, this is what systemic oppression looks like. A man with power comes to the game, tweets a couple things out and leaves the game, with an attempt to thwart our efforts."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...lts/744748001/