Chargers running back Justin Jackson has spent days slamming the media, condemning Trump, and criticizing Pete Buttigieg on Twitter
- Los Angeles Chargers running back Justin Jackson posted more than 30 tweets between January 3 and January 6 in which he openly discussed politics.
- Jackson criticized the US-ordered drone strike in Iraq that killed Iranian Quds Force general Qassem Suleimani, slammed "mainstream media" and its coverage of wars, and discussed 2020 presidential candidates.
- In one tweet, he said Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg was a "moderate Republican" and in another, he told his followers to donate to Bernie Sanders.
- Jackson also called out Neera Tanden, a former aide for Hillary Clinton and current president for the Center for American Process, in a series of tweets.
- It's unclear what instigated Jackson's Twitter spree, but the move gained him more than 25,000 new followers.
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Los Angeles Chargers running back Justin Jackson took his political stances on Twitter to a new level this week as he slammed President Donald Trump, criticized 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, and got blocked by a former Hillary Clinton Aide.
Jackson has used Facebook and Twitter to share his progressive political ideologies for years, but between January 3 and January 7, Jackson posted more than 30 Tweets and retweeted several others with topics ranging from Trump, Iraq and Iran, to Wikileaks, the media, and 2020 Democratic candidates.
And he's picking up Twitter followers along the way, too. Since January 3, Jackson has gained more than 25,000 new followers on the platform, jumping from around 10,000 to 36,000.
In his first political tweet on January 3, he criticized the US-ordered drone strike in Iraq that killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force. The tweet went viral.
Jackson took time to criticize "mainstream news" over its coverage of wars and later singled out MSNBC contributor Jason Johnson and host Chris Hayes.
He also called out former Hillary Clinton aide and current president for the Center for American Process, Neera Tanden, calling her a "warmonger."
He said Tandem helped get Trump elected, and alluded to a conversation between Tanden and current Bernie Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir, who at the time was a journalist for ThinkProgress.
Tanden later blocked him.
In speaking about Democratic candidates in the 2020 presidential election, Jackson called Buttigieg a "moderate Republican" and told his followers to donate to Bernie Sanders or "progressive candidates at all levels."
The NFL has a decades-long history of conservative ideologies within its fanbase, executives, and coaches, and it has ultimately created a culture that, for a long time, pushed back against liberal politics.
Colin Kaepernick attempted to change the league's culture in 2016, when he started kneeling during the pregame national anthem to protest police brutality against black men. The move caused backlash among fans, and eventually Kaepernick was blackballed from the league.
And while Kaepernick has yet to find a spot on a new NFL team, more league players are speaking out about their beliefs.
In a 2018 Associated Press article, several NFL players, including then-Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson and Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey, opened up about what it feels like to be racially profiled.
Jackson now appears to be making a further step toward sharing his politics publicly in a way very few NFL athletes do. Though it's rare in the NFL, athletes in the NBA regularly delve into political debates with support from the league.
It's unclear what spawned Jackson's Twitter spree. Insider has reached out to Jackson and his agent for further information. The Chargers did not provide a comment.
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