The GOP has long loved to accuse Democrats of insufficient patriotism. It’s reliable red meat to toss their supporters when they have nothing else to say, or if they need to distract them from their own shortcomings. Sometimes they’re weird about it, as in Ted Cruz’s recent, inexplicable video in which he for some reason recites the Pledge of Allegiance. And sometimes they screw it up, as when former Florida governor Rick Scott recently confused the aforementioned Pledge for the National Anthem.
Scott was one of many big time Republicans who spoke at this weekend’s Faith & Freedom Coalition conference. He spent part of his speech angry over the Pledge, which he claims today’s kids don’t know. But then he got the streams crossed, lumping in an entirely separate matter: football players kneeling in support of Black Lives Matter during the National Anthem at football games.
Sen. Rick Scott: “We’re living in a nation where these woke, rich, pampered football players are kneeling for the Pledge of Allegiance.” pic.twitter.com/bsRbCo0PYq
— The Hill (@thehill) June 19, 2021
After leading the crowd in their own recitation of the Pledge — which he briefly screwed up — he then screwed up bigly. “We’re living in a nation where these woke, rich, pampered football players are kneeling for the Pledge of Allegiance,” Scott thundered.
Scott didn’t seem to notice his mix-up, continuing to whip up the crowd, telling them that they all have to spend “part of our day” fighting against “this woke mob and radical Democrats who are trying to destroy this country and the values that we grew up with.”
But his error didn’t escape the notice of social media. Many people pointed out that a notorious Republican ex-governor doesn’t seem to know the difference between a song and a spoken recitation.
“We’re living in a nation where these woke, rich football players are kneeling for the Pledge of Allegiance,” says Rick Scott. (NB: The kneeling’s been during the anthem, the Pledge isn’t recited at NFL games.)
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) June 18, 2021
Fun Fact: No football player has taken a knee during the Pledge of Allegiance, because they don’t recite that at football games. https://t.co/ibtzL1CAur
— Derek Litvak (@TheTattooedGrad) June 20, 2021
Sen. Rick Scott: “We’re living in a nation where these woke, rich, pampered football players are kneeling for the Pledge of Allegiance.”
Excuse me?
That would be the National Anthem you a$$hole. Holy FK!!!— Rex Zane (@rexzane1) June 20, 2021
Pro tip: If you’re going to call *others* un-American, don’t confuse the National Anthem for the Pledge of Allegiance when you do. https://t.co/pEKOtyzchy
— Heath Mayo (@HeathMayo) June 20, 2021
We’re also living in a nation where patriot-cosplaying rich doofuses don’t know the difference between the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem because everything they do is just performative nonsense. https://t.co/NnXWVTcEhM
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) June 20, 2021
If you don’t know the difference between pledge of allegiance and national anthem you shouldn’t be a fking senator.
— Baligubadle (@Baligubadle1) June 20, 2021
Others thought it belied his lack of interest in true freedom and democracy.
The National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance are both worthless to traitors like Rick Scott, who didn’t even vote for a Jan 6th Commission, and owe their allegiance only to the former guy.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) June 20, 2021
If I had anything whatsoever to do with 1/6 I would simply never mention the Pledge of Allegiance again https://t.co/q7QsoL5Blm
— this tweeter is used by integration tests only (@PropterMalone) June 20, 2021