Outrage erupts over Nancy Pelosi's comments about the NFL - here's what she said

Many on the left were outraged after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was offered the chance to criticize the NFL's recent decision to punish players who kneel during the national anthem, and didn't.

Here's what she said

During a CNN town hall Thursday evening, the Democrat leader was less than critical about the NFL's rule against players and other personnel who kneel during the performance of the national anthem before a game.

“I would be more okay with it if they had consulted with the players,” Pelosi responded, “I don't think the players agreed to this. This is the owners, and, by the way, it's the owners who would be fined.”

“I love the national anthem,” she continued. “I'm from Baltimore. That's where it was written during the War of 1812. So I'm very possessive of it. Sometimes people say, 'Maybe we should change the national anthem.' No.”

“I love the national anthem," Pelosi added. "I love the flag.”

“And I love the First Amendment," she concluded, "and I'll just leave it at that."

"An issue that's literally killing Black people"

In an article by Eugene Scott in the Washington Post, Pelosi's comments were criticized as an example explaining why the Democrats were unable to court the black Millennial vote.

Scott posted several tweets supporting his thesis:

Scott also cited polls and surveys showing that the Democrats' popularity is waning with black Millennials.

"According to the American National Election Studies, more than 6 in 10 (62 percent) of black voters 50 and older identify strongly with the Democratic Party," Scott said. "But that number is only 41 percent for black voters younger than 35."

"Balance Beam Becky Nancy Pelosi Toes The Line"

A scathing post by the staff at the African-American entertainment site Bossip excoriated Pelosi over her NFL comments.

"Do you see this broad walking that tightrope?" they wrote. "She should quit her gig with the government and go on the road with Cirque Du Soleil."

"She can’t even fix her mouth to just say the undeniable truth, that the rule is a bunch of bullsh**t," they added, "but will without doubt put out her wrinkly hand and ask for our vote."

"Coward," they concluded.

"Unconscionable"

Liberal filmmaker Judd Appatow piled on, tweeting, "This is Democrats at their worst. Uhg. You either believe people have the right to voice their opinions or you don’t."

"Their quiet gesture is meant to make people think about people getting murdered and abused," he added. "To not support someone’s right to do that is unconscionable."