Dan Abrams Clashes With Matt Gaetz Over Call to Defund US Soccer Over Protests: Kneeling Is Protected Speech, ‘You Know That’

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Dan Abrams clashed over a call to defund the U.S. Soccer Federation after recently announcing it will allow players to kneel during the national anthem. Gaetz argued Congress should pull funding because there’s “no direct funding, but indirect support,” but Abrams said such a move would be unconstitutional because it’s still a private organization.

Last week, U.S. Soccer repealed its policy to force players to stand during the national anthem after notable stars like Megan Rapinoe knelt in protest against police brutality as early as September 2016. In response, Trump said he “won’t be watching much anymore!”

The USSF, structured as a nonprofit, has the ability to restrict its players under contractual agreements, but the government is prohibited to force private employers to stand under the First Amendment. Last week, Gaetz said he planned to introduce legislation for players to stand for the national anthem.

“When you’re wearing the flag on your jersey, when you’re given the privilege to serve as American excellence, you offer this generalized indictment that this flag isn’t worth standing for,” Gaetz said. “I think that we as a Congress have a right to speak to that.”

Abrams said from a legal perspective, the government can drop its sponsorship of the federation with votes in Congress in 2026 — “which it won’t get,” Abrams joked — but can’t defund because kneeling is protected under the First Amendment.

“They’re not a federal entity,” Abrams said. “It’s a private organization that you have correctly said ‘That because its the NFL, that they can tell their players to do what they want.'”

Gaetz said he believes people have the right to protest, but doesn’t think that “every circumstance extends to the workplace.” When asked what the legislation would ask in regards to the First Amendment, Gaetz said, “I’m punishing disrespect to the country—” which Abrams interrupted to correct him that “disrespect” is “free speech.”

“Everything that you’re using is just examples that involve some action in connection with speech,” Abrams said. “Your argument here is the action of kneeling is equivalent legally to someone breaking a window. I’m saying no way because the kneeling is speech, you know that.”

“I think the kneeling is the disrespectful content,” Gaetz responded.

“But that is speech!” Abrams shot back.

In his closing statement, Gaetz said, “I think the conduct is detrimental. Democrats have tried to socially engineer elements of the U.S. Soccer team operations and I think it should be absolutely be passed that it should not be supported with the money of the taxpayers.”

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