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Los Angeles Chargers running back Justin Jackson.
- 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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So we can drone strike a foreign leader from the sky with a death robot all the way in Iraq but we can't get clean water pipes under Flint
- Justin Jackson (@J_ManPrime21) January 3, 2020Offering $1000 to anyone who can show me one mainstream news channel (@CNN @MSNBC @FoxNews @ABC @NBCNews ) who in the last two decades has been wholesale against** one singular war America has waged or provoked. Serious offer. #StateMedia
- Justin Jackson (@J_ManPrime21) January 4, 2020@chrislhayes & obfuscating like there wasn't rampant corruption exposed in the emails, is irresponsible at best, & complicit at worst.
- Justin Jackson (@J_ManPrime21) January 7, 2020I realize that @chrislhayes does good work. I'm imploring him to do more. He's got an enormous platform. Do more than one segment on Yemen, Gaza, med 4 all, Flint, the 8 countries we're bombing, etc. There are stories Americans need to know about. Lives are on the line.
- Justin Jackson (@J_ManPrime21) January 7, 2020You managed to slight people who are dying from lack of healthcare, students who are crippled with student debt, people all over who are negatively being affected by climate change (see Australia), & homeless people all in one tweet. You're really earning that @MSNBC check
- Justin Jackson (@J_ManPrime21) January 6, 2020Wikileaks exposed you for wanting to take Libyan oil as "payback" for overthrowing their government. Libya is now a failed state and terrorist hotbed. You're a warmonger. Voters rejected your ideology in 2016. So you know who likes you Neera? Trump. You helped him get elected. https://t.co/aeb7lYfuy5
- Justin Jackson (@J_ManPrime21) January 5, 2020Receipt 👇🏾. Also note who is fighting back against this. @fshakir- Bernie's campaign manager pic.twitter.com/ieg49FfoSj
- Justin Jackson (@J_ManPrime21) January 5, 2020Neera's been in politics for decades but can't handle a little criticism on twitter lol wonder why the campaign she was advising on suffered a historic loss
- Justin Jackson (@J_ManPrime21) January 6, 2020You're a moderate republican. Thank you for not waiting til after winning a nomination or taking power to show us your true beliefs 💜 @PeteButtigieg https://t.co/6sRpk51PyC
- Justin Jackson (@J_ManPrime21) January 6, 2020Donate to Bernie
- Justin Jackson (@J_ManPrime21) January 7, 2020Not yet man for now just donate to progressive candidates at all levels!
- Justin Jackson (@J_ManPrime21) January 7, 2020