ABC News(HERNDON, Va.) — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told a former high school football coach Monday that his firing was “outrageous.”
Trump, speaking at the Retired American Warriors PAC gathering, was discussing religion and mentioned the story of a local high school football coach who was recently fired for praying ahead of his team’s game. The coach, Joe Kennedy, a former Marine Corps gunnery sergeant, recently filed a federal lawsuit against the Bremerton School District in Washington state, saying he was terminated because of his religious beliefs, according to Fox News.
“The other day, just to add to your list, I was watching one of the news programs and they had a, I think high school football coach, you know, they’re going into battle,” said Trump, who was cut off by audience members saying “he’s here,” referring to the coach.
Trump asked the coach to stand, saying he didn’t know the man would be present at Monday’s gathering.
“So you’re not allowed to pray before a football game?” Trump asked, adding, “I thought it was horrible.”
“They put me on suspension and then at the end of the year they gave me an adverse write-up of how well I did my job. I didn’t change anything for 8 years,” Kennedy told Trump in front of the other retired service members. “Always prayed after every game. And they just really slapped me on it. Said what a horrible person I was. Ended up just not renewing my contract, so ultimately firing me.”
Trump responded that Kennedy’s termination was “absolutely outrageous. I think it’s outrageous. I think it’s very, very sad and outrageous.”
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