Donald Trump’s Jackie Robinson DEI controversy has Robert Griffin III slamming ESPN and Mina Kimes for bringing politics into sports

ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes lambasted the Donald Trump administration for labeling Jackie Robinson as a DEI hire.

Donald Trump’s Jackie Robinson DEI controversy has Robert Griffin III slamming ESPN and Mina Kimes for bringing politics into sports

Robert Griffin III slams Mina Kimes for bringing politics to ESPN (Image via Imago)

Jackie Robinson, as a baseball legend, is not a question anyone asks. But as military personnel, Donald Trump and his administration saw him as a DEI hire. When they removed his credentials from the Department of Defense website, it sparked a controversy that reached ESPN, where Mina Kimes was one of the first to talk about it.

But once she brought the controversy into perspective, it set off the internet. Fans were divided on why Kimes, an NFL analyst by trade, brought up the topic on a sports show. However, many felt she was right to bring it up, considering Jackie Robinson as an athlete was also involved.

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Once she talked about it, it opened a can of worms where some felt ESPN was doing what their parent company Walt Disney, a primarily left leaning network, was preaching. This brought out a sharp remark from Robert Griffin III.

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Sports shows on TV should be about sports not politics.

Robert Griffin III wrote

His view was that sports shows, and especially a sports channel in ESPN, should only be talking about sports. Bridging the landscape to talk about politics was unnecessary. Fans slammed him for his take, citing ESPN firing him probably led him to write those comments.

He reiterated that his comments had nothing to do with Jackie Robinson and his accomplishments in baseball was not a political stand. Griffin believes Mina Kimes’ take was more political than focusing on the sports aspect of Robinson’s career.

What did Mina Kimes say?

On Wednesday’s edition of Around the Horn, host Jeff Passan started the conversation surrounding the Department of Defense’s efforts to erase Jackie Robinson’s service in the military. Mina Kimes calling in via FaceTime said this.

Mina Kimes outlined Jackie Robinson's military impact
Mina Kimes outlined Jackie Robinson’s military impact (Image via Open Source/X)

It was his ongoing courage in the face of racial discrimination. In fact, in addition to crossing the color barrier in baseball, he served in a segregated unit in the Army and in one instance, refused to move to the back of the bus, was arrested and acquitted. That matters.

Mina Kimes said

The 39-year-old mother of one added that even if the Department of Defense erased Robinson’s records, it cannot be wiped away from humanity. She believes his military service is part of his legacy. Robinson is not just a legend for breaking the race barrier in baseball, but also in the military.

That, she believes, is an important part of the history of the United States. Considering him a DEI hire was an insult to the racial discrimination the country has faced. Kimes believes the current Donald Trump administration is not doing right to the people who see Robinson as a legend.

Jackie Robinson’s credentials restored after public outcry

Mina Kimes might have added fuel to the fire, but the furor surrounding the removal of Jackie Robinson led to a public outcry. Citizens across the country slammed the Donald Trump administration for this move.

This also drew flak from a lot of members of the media, including Kimes’ ESPN colleague, Stephen A. Smith. But now, the Department of Defense has reinstated Robinson’s credentials. They had mentioned that their initial removal process was based on basic guidelines.

Once they review those cuts, they will review those removed and reinstate those who they felt should be reinstated. This is similar to how the administration went about in their methods to cut DEI hires in government offices. Another ESPN employee, Ryan Clark, heavily criticized that move.

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