Fox News encourages ‘people burning their Nikes’ to foment rage against NFL players who are protesting racism

Fox News on Tuesday repeatedly suggested that viewers could burn their Nike products as a way to protest the company after it hired NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick as the face of the 30th anniversary Just Do It campaign. Kaepernick angered President Donald Trump and other conservatives by kneeling during the national anthem to protest systemic racism in America.

After Nike made the announcement that Kaepernick would head up publicity for the Just Do It campaign, Fox & Friends repeatedly played a clip of a man burning his Nike shoes in protest of Kaepernick's anti-racism protest.

"Not only am I burning my favorite pair of Nikes you are burning your sales," the man said in the clip that was played at least four times on Fox & Friends' Tuesday program.

"Usually corporations run from controversy but Nike -- they believe in Colin Kaepernick," Fox co-host Anisley Earhardt opined. "And you as a buyer, you get to choose whether you're going to wear Nike or continue to shop in their stores."

"We want to know from you, are you going to continue to support Nike?" Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy wondered. "Is it a bold political move or is it not just your cup of tea."

"Nike is hoping that this will not cause a backlash to impact their sales," Doocy added in a later segment. "There's probably going to be a statement from the president of the United States."

Fox Business host Charles Payne argued that Nike should avoid the topic of systemic racism and instead investigate all shootings of black Americans by black Americans.

"If Nike wants to go down this path I would like to say something about the 1,000 black people shot in Chicago since Memorial Day including the six killed over the weekend," Payne opined, seeming to miss the point of Kaepernick's protest.

"This will energize some people to buy Nike products who might not in the past but at the same time we might see other people burning their Nikes," Doocy reasoned. "Perfectly good pairs of shoes."