MIAMI — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills publicly criticized team owner Steve Ross on Wednesday for his plans to host President Trump at Ross’ home in New York for a fundraising event later this week.
Stills, the Dolphins’ outspoken leader and advocate for human rights, called out Ross for directly conflicting with a message the New York real estate developer aimed to share when he created the nonprofit organization called RISE, the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality.
RISE’s mission statement reads: We are a national nonprofit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations.
“You can’t have a nonprofit with this mission statement then open your doors to Trump,” Stills posted on his Twitter account.
Stills’ comment was posted Wednesday morning, shortly after The Washington Post published a story reporting Trump’s expected appearances Friday at two fundraising events in the Hamptons.
Trump is expected to attend a Friday luncheon in Southampton, N.Y., at Ross’s home where tickets are priced at $100,000 for a photo opportunity and lunch, and $250,000 for the package that includes the roundtable discussion, according to the report.
Stills, who has aligned himself with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, has kneeled on the sidelines before Dolphins games during the national anthem to raise awareness about racial inequality and police brutality in recent years.
Stills also pursues the cause with his philanthropy work in the South Florida community as a member of the Dolphins team.
The Dolphins will begin their 2019 preseason with a game Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons at Hard Rock Stadium.
