Fact check: Ted Nugent did not write viral post criticizing athletes for kneeling - USA TODAY

Devon Link USA TODAY

Published 8:29 PM EDT Jun 30, 2020

The claim: Ted Nugent wrote viral 'Take a Knee' commentary on national anthem demonstrations 

A 2016 commentary condemning athletes who kneel in protest during the national anthem has been falsely attributed to musician Ted Nugent for years. Despite corrections and fact checks, the misattributed commentary continues to spread online. 

“Take a knee… I don't think I've ever read anything more powerful than this piece. It was written by Ted Nugent,” begins a June 9 Facebook post by Therese Black Long that went viral.

The piece describes a series of famous American battles scenes and challenges athletes kneeling in protest against police brutality.

“There are a lot of places to take a knee where Americans have given their Lives all over the world. When you use the banner under which they fought As a source for your displeasure, you dishonor the memories of those who Bled for the very freedoms you have,” the piece continues. “Take your cleats and socks off to get a real Experience.”

Nugent says the commentary is not his

Nugent is an American rock musician, member of the NRA's board of directors and famous conservative known for his outlandish political comments. He called the survivors of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, “poor, mushy brained children” who “have no soul” in 2018.

Nugent posted "Take a knee" on Facebook on Sept. 24, 2017, and attributed the commentary to Stanislaus Drew. Nugent’s post received 152,000 reactions, 14,000 comments and 118,000 shares.

"Mr. Nugent is not the author of the piece,” Nugent’s assistant Linda Peterson told USA TODAY.

The commentary was written by a man from Florida

The piece was published on website the Christian Index on Sept. 28, 2017, and attributed to Drew. Christian Index explained that Drew wrote the piece in 2016, in response to former National Football League player Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protest against police brutality.

“Stanislaus ‘Stan’ Drew originally wrote this post last year — when he was a member of Palm Springs Baptist Church in Palm Springs, FL — after San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick first began his protests during the National Anthem. Stan currently lives in Crescent City, FL,” the Christian Index discloses at the bottom of the page.

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Website Black Republican Blog noted the social media attention to Drew’s “Take a Knee” in a blog post titled “‘Take a Knee’ by Florida author takes Internet by storm” published Sept. 28, 2017. Black Republican Blog highlighted the increased attention Drew's commentary received after Nugent shared it on Facebook.

The piece has been misattributed for years

This is not the first time the piece has been mistakenly attributed to Ted Nugent. On July 19, 2018, Facebook user Duane Allen Fan Page posted the same “Take a Knee” commentary, falsely attributing it to Ted Nugent.

"I apologize to Stanislaus Drew......when I got this piece of writing, within the piece, it was credited to Ted Nugent as the writer.....I have learned this was a mistake, and I posted it with the mistake in it.....I have now corrected it, however, I have spoken to the writer, Stanislaus Drew, and he asked me not the delete it.....” Duane Allen Fan Page later edited the post.

This misattribution was fact-checked by Truth or Fiction on Sept. 29, 2017, yet still it continues to circulate.

Neither Long nor Drew has responded to USA TODAY's request for comment.

Our rating: False

We rate the claim that the widely shared “Take a Knee” commentary on national anthem demonstrations was written by Ted Nugent as FALSE because it is not supported by our research. Although Nugent did share the commentary on Facebook in 2017, the text was written by Stanislaus Drew of Florida. The misattributed post has been circulating Facebook since 2017.

Our fact-check sources:

• TedNugent.com
• USA TODAY, "Ted Nugent slams 'mushy brained' Parkland survivors: 'They have no soul'"
• Ted Nugent, Sept. 24, 2017, Facebook post
• The Christian Index, "Take a knee?"
• For the Win, "A reminder of what Colin Kaepernick actually said, and a timeline of his actions"
• Black Republican Blog, "'Take a Knee' by Florida author takes internet by storm"
• Duane Allen Fan Page, July 19, 2018, Facebook post
• Truth or Fiction, Sept. 29, 2017, fact-check

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June 30, 2020 at 05:31PM
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Fact check: Ted Nugent did not write viral post criticizing athletes for kneeling - USA TODAY
"viral" - Google News
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