Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Apologizes For Comments About Colin Kaepernick Protest

On Friday, US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg apologized for calling Colin Kaepernick‘s protest “dumb and disrespectful.” The San Francisco 49ers quarterback refused to stand for the national anthem before a game last month. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said.

After Ginsburg called Kaepernick’s behavior “dumb” in a recent interview, the quarterback issued his response: “It is disappointing to hear a Supreme Court justice call a protest against injustices and oppression ‘stupid, dumb’ in reference to players doing that.”

The 83-year-old justice apologized via the Supreme Court’s public information officer. She admitted that she was “barely aware of the incident or its purpose” and that she should have declined to comment on it.

“Some of you have inquired about a book interview in which I was asked how I felt about Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players who refused to stand for the national anthem,” Ginsburg said in her statement. “Barely aware of the incident or its purpose, my comments were inappropriately dismissive and harsh. I should have declined to respond.”

Ginsburg’s original comment surprised many, as she has taken a strong stand on many social justice issues like gender equality and affirmative action.