Who benefits from Trump's NFL rant?

So, who benefits from this culture war? Certainly not the country. Before the NFL, the media, and Trump polarized the nation and decided that their own political and financial gain was more important than the separation between sports and politics, there was a relative consensus on these issues: Protesting the anthem and the flag is stupid, but players should be allowed to do it unless team owners feel like firing them. Now that consensus is gone. Anyone who says protesting the anthem is dumb is now labeled a knee-jerk jingoist with a Trumpist streak; anyone who says firing anthem protesters is dumb is now labeled an anti-American sympathizer. Viewers don’t benefit, either — now they can’t escape politics. And nor does the NFL; its inconsistent approach to politics has led to this impasse.

So, who does gain? Only the cultural figures who get to lead their constituents into battle over these newly drawn battle lines. Trump benefits politically. The media benefit from the additional traffic and coverage. The culture-war political-media complex has an interest in tearing apart the country for ratings and power. And that’s not going to stop so long as the American people see politics as entertainment and entertainment as politics.