Michael Strahan Addresses National Anthem Backlash, I Wasn't Making a Statement! | TMZ Live - video Dailymotion

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Michael Strahan is firing back at the outrage surrounding his stance on the national anthem on Sunday ... claiming his hand placement was simply the result of being caught up in the moment.

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00:00I was at one of P. Diddy's freak-offs.

00:03Freak-offs.

00:04You saw celebrities there that you recognized.

00:07They were a rapper that we all know.

00:10Straight-up porn directed by Diddy.

00:13I'm just grateful to have made it out.

00:15Michael Strahan speaking out and finally defending himself

00:19several days after he was the target of some very angry people online

00:26because of this, what you're looking at here.

00:28Last Sunday on Fox, they had their annual salute to the troops

00:32because it's Veterans Day and they were on board an aircraft carrier.

00:38Their national anthem's playing and everyone's standing there.

00:41Most of Michael's, actually all of them, had their hands over their heart.

00:45And Michael had his hands standing at attention but with his hands in front of him

00:49and there were a bunch of people online who felt like this was a protest,

00:53that he was doing that intentionally.

00:56Some people thought that it had something to do with the election.

01:00But Michael had not said anything.

01:02Well, after several days of hearing all the fuss about this,

01:06he finally spoke out and here's what he said.

01:08Everyone thought he's protesting.

01:10He's making a statement, which is so far from the truth.

01:13I have nothing to protest.

01:15I have no statement to be made.

01:17The only statement that should be made and that I want to make

01:19is I love the military.

01:21I was caught up in the moment.

01:23I'm looking at all these young sailors standing there at attention

01:26before the national anthem played, and I'm thinking to myself,

01:29how incredible, how incredible to be that young

01:32and to know that you want to do this.

01:34It's such a commitment, but you're willing to commit to something

01:37that you know gives us our freedoms.

01:40And by the time I looked up from that moment,

01:44all my five guys had their hands over their heart,

01:46the national anthem's playing.

01:48I somewhat panicked, and I'm like,

01:50is this a fool that puts his hand over his heart after?

01:53Or do I just stand here with my hand in front of me respectfully?

01:56Which, that's what I did.

01:58That's what happened.

02:00And if that offended any of our military and veterans,

02:03I apologize.

02:05I think Michael is being as genuine as he could possibly be there.

02:09I don't think there's anything in his past that would suggest

02:12that he has any sort of ill will,

02:14that he was making any sort of political statement.

02:16He is, I know you know this, Charles,

02:18but he is best friends with Jay Glazer, also of Fox Sports.

02:22Jay Glazer does a ton for the United States military.

02:25Michael Strahan grew up a military brat.

02:28His dad was a major in the Army.

02:30I mean, I don't get it.

02:32This is not Michael taking a shot at the military.

02:36It never made any sense, and you're right,

02:38that Michael does a lot with Jay's organization,

02:41Merging Players and Vets, Veterans with Players, MVP.

02:46It also didn't make sense that we were three days beyond this,

02:50and he had never said anything about what,

02:53if he were protesting, you would tell people,

02:56oh, I'm protesting something.

02:58That's the point.

03:00If he is protesting, you say why?

03:02You'd say, you may have noticed on Sunday,

03:04I didn't put my hand over my heart.

03:06He didn't say anything like that.

03:08So clearly, it just never added up to me.

03:10It's just sad that you have to respond,

03:13because people online are just always looking and saying,

03:16oh, this has got to be something scandalous,

03:18and sometimes it is what it is.

03:21Hey, this is Addison from Galveston, Texas.

03:23Let's be real.

03:25Let's just call it what it is.

03:26This is just another example of cancel culture

03:28and sensitive snowflakes,

03:30like wanting to have a reason to be upset about something.

03:35This all started when Colleen Kaepernick

03:38took a knee back in the day,

03:40and ever since then, we've been really outraged

03:43and want to make sure everybody plays by the rules

03:46and stands up for the pledge

03:47and puts your hand over your heart and stuff.

03:49Let's be real.

03:50People are just looking for a reason to have an issue.

03:52Boy, I'm going to cosign in every single thing you just said.

03:55Yep, absolutely.

Michael Strahan Addresses National Anthem Backlash, I Wasn't Making a Statement! | TMZ Live

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