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President Donald Trump says US should change tax law to punish NFL

Posted at 1:20 PM, Oct 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-10 13:44:57-04

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump is suggesting the U.S. change its tax laws to punish organizations like the NFL if members are "disrespecting" the national anthem or flag.

RELATED: Florida VFW post banning all NFL games due to anthem protest

Trump tweeted this morning, "Why is the NFL getting massive tax breaks while at the same time disrespecting our Anthem, Flag and Country? Change tax law!"

The NFL gave up its federal tax-exempt status a few years ago and now files tax returns as a taxable entity. So it's unlikely that Trump's proposal, tweeted in the early hours Tuesday, would change anything.

RELATED: President proud of NASCAR after slamming NFL

The president also said in his tweet that ESPN ratings have "tanked" because ofJemele Hill, the anchor suspended for making political statements on social media.

While NFL viewership is down slightly,ESPN remains among the most popular cable networks. The network has suffered subscriber losses over the last few years as some viewers have moved to streaming services from cable television.