Here’s what was alleged.
Former NFL athlete Colin Kaepernick is revealing new details about an attempted meeting involving President Donald Trump — and he says former Obama administration adviser and CNN commentator Van Jones was connected to the outreach.
Kaepernick said Wednesday that Jones attempted to help arrange contact between him and the Trump administration during Trump’s first term.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback discussed the episode during an appearance on the MeidasTouch podcast, where he was asked about a proposed “Black Summit” that he had been invited to attend.
According to Kaepernick, he was told that the outreach originated with Jones.
Kaepernick said he quickly rejected the opportunity and never became deeply involved in discussions about the proposed meeting.
Kaepernick Claimed He Rejected Trump Meeting
During the interview, Kaepernick said he has learned to be cautious when political figures reach out to activists or other prominent public figures.
He characterized the proposed summit as an effort that could have been used to bring influential voices into a political initiative.
Kaepernick said he was told that Van Jones was behind the initial outreach.
Kaepernick added that he did not learn many of the details because he rejected the invitation shortly after it was presented to him.
The account provides new information about an episode dating back to Trump’s first administration, when Kaepernick was already at the center of one of the biggest political controversies in professional sports.
Trump And Kaepernick Had A Bitter Public Feud
Kaepernick became a national political figure after he began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016.
He said the protest was intended to draw attention to racial injustice and police brutality.
Trump strongly criticized Kaepernick and other NFL players who refused to stand during the anthem.
During his first term, Trump argued that NFL teams should discipline players who protested during the anthem and repeatedly said Americans should respect the country, the flag and the national anthem.
That history apparently shaped Kaepernick’s reaction when the Trump administration later showed interest in bringing him into a summit.
Kaepernick said he believed the invitation could have been used to create the appearance that Trump was working on behalf of Black Americans.
That was Kaepernick’s interpretation of the proposed meeting. No evidence cited in his interview independently establishes the motive behind the outreach.
Kaepernick Says Trump’s Earlier Criticism Influenced His Decision
Kaepernick pointed specifically to Trump’s earlier criticism of his national anthem protest.
He argued that it would have been difficult for him to participate in a Trump administration event after the president had publicly attacked his protest and questioned his future in the NFL.
Kaepernick said the outreach came after Trump had publicly criticized him in ways he believed could affect his NFL career.
The former quarterback suggested that those events made him skeptical of the administration’s intentions.
Trump, however, later softened his public position toward Kaepernick.
In 2019, Trump indicated he was open to Kaepernick returning to the NFL, saying teams would likely give him an opportunity if they believed he could still perform well enough to help them win.
Van Jones Connection Puts New Focus On Proposed Summit
Kaepernick’s claim that Van Jones was involved in the outreach adds a new element to the story.
Jones served as an adviser in the Obama administration before becoming a prominent CNN political commentator and criminal justice reform advocate.
He also previously served as CEO of the Reform Alliance, an organization focused on changes to the probation and parole systems.
During the podcast discussion, Kaepernick criticized political relationships involving the Reform Alliance and Trump.
He also referenced presidential pardons and alleged “pay-for-play” behavior.
Those statements were allegations and political criticism made by Kaepernick during the interview and should not be treated as established fact without additional evidence.
Kaepernick’s NFL Career Became A Major Political Flashpoint
Kaepernick has not played in an NFL regular-season game since the 2016 season.
He left his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in March 2017 and later filed a grievance alleging that NFL team owners worked together to keep him from signing with another team.
His complaint also cited public pressure from Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence as part of the broader environment surrounding the league.
The NFL and Kaepernick reached a confidential settlement in 2019.
Reports at the time indicated that Kaepernick and former teammate Eric Reid received less than $10 million combined, although the exact terms were not publicly disclosed.
The settlement ended the grievance without a public ruling establishing whether NFL owners had colluded against Kaepernick.
Trump Later Opened The Door To A Kaepernick Comeback
Despite years of political clashes, Trump later said he would not oppose Kaepernick returning to the NFL.
In August 2019, Trump told reporters he would “love” to see Kaepernick play again if he was still good enough to compete professionally.
Trump argued that NFL owners ultimately wanted players who could help their teams win.
Kaepernick has never formally announced his retirement and has periodically expressed interest in returning to professional football.
Why The Story Is Resurfacing Now
The newly disclosed Van Jones connection sheds additional light on attempts by figures associated with the Trump administration to engage Kaepernick during a politically divisive period.
Kaepernick’s national anthem protest had already made him one of the most controversial athletes in America, while Trump’s repeated criticism of NFL protests turned the dispute into a major national political issue.
Kaepernick now says that when the opportunity for a meeting arose, he had no interest in participating.
His account suggests the proposed summit never advanced very far — but the involvement he attributes to Jones is likely to draw renewed attention because of Jones’s connections to both Democratic politics and criminal justice reform efforts.
Years after Kaepernick last played in the NFL, the political battle surrounding his protest continues to generate headlines.