DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins receiver Kenny Stills called out the motivations of team owner Stephen Ross on Twitter on Wednesday morning after finding out about a Donald Trump fundraiser luncheon scheduled at Ross' home in New York later this week.
"You can't have a nonprofit with this mission statement [and] then open your doors to Trump," Stills tweeted, referring to Ross' RISE Foundation.
The first part of the RISE mission statement says the foundation is "a national nonprofit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations."
Stills has never been shy about expressing his feelings about issues such as police brutality and systematic oppression. He also has been active in RISE programs and earned the Dolphins' Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination because of his work in the community.
🤔 You can't have a non profit with this mission statement then open your doors to Trump. https://t.co/sNBWfEXvLn pic.twitter.com/nNkRf2wJep
— Kenny Stills (@KSTiLLS) August 7, 2019
"As a player leader, few have done more for their community than Kenny," the NFL Players Association said in a statement Wednesday. "We support him, as we do all of our players, in using their platform for good."
Ross has openly supported and donated to Trump's campaign for years. In a statement issued early Wednesday evening, Ross said he has been friends with Trump for 40 years and that while they agree on some things, "we strongly disagree on many others" and that he has never been "bashful" about expressing his opinions to the president.
"I've always have been an active participant in the democratic process," Ross said. "While some prefer to sit outside of the process and criticize, I prefer to engage directly and support the things I deeply care about.
"... I have been, and will continue to be, an outspoken champion of racial equality, inclusion, diversity, public education and environmental sustainability, and I have and will continue to support leaders on both sides of the aisle to address these challenges."
Stills was one of several players kneeling during the national anthem in September 2017 when the president suggested owners "get that son of a b---- off the field right now," in reference to protesting players.
Stills, Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid and Dolphins receiver Albert Wilson are the three active players who protested social injustice and systematic racism in 2018 by kneeling during the anthem. Stills has been one of a few players at the forefront of the NFL protest movement that Colin Kaepernick began in 2016.
Stills told ESPN earlier this offseason that he plans to continue his protest for the fourth straight season. He has tried to advance his activism with work in underfunded communities, including a mental health summit that he hosted last month.
Ross, who was in attendance for the Dolphins' simulated scrimmage Saturday, will be inducted into the National Football Foundation Leadership Hall of Fame later this month.