In 2016, the same year he took a knee in protest during the national anthem, the former quarterback stated that he didn’t vote in the presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump."You know, I think it would be hypocritical of me to vote," Kaepernick told reporters in November 2016."I said from the beginning I was against oppression, I was against the system of oppression.
I’m not going to show support for that system.And to me, the oppressor isn’t going to allow you to vote your way out of your oppression."Colin Kaepernick speaks onstage during The Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner and Auction 2026 at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 19, 2026, in New York City.
(Getty Images for The Gordon Parks Foundation)COLIN KAEPERNICK SAYS NFL IS 'ACTIVELY BLACKBALLING ME' 10 YEARS AFTER KNEELING PROTEST BEGANKaepernick described Trump as "openly racist" and criticized Clinton for using the term "super predators" when defending the 1994 crime bill signed by her husband, President Bill Clinton.But in his new memoir, "The Perilous Fight," Kaepernick called his decision not to participate in electoral politics "irresponsible.""The realization coming out of the 2016 election is how significant the implications can be of not voting, even if you don’t fully think this candidate represents you, and I’ve seen that," Kaepernick told NBC News."We’ve seen it with the Supreme Court.
We’ve seen it with federal judges.""Part of trying to seek the best way for us to move forward and have impact is also realizing the moments where the intention of the perspective was right, but the strategy behind it actually wasn’t," he added.Zohran Mamdani attends an event at the National Action Network House of Justice in Harlem, Manhattan, New York, United States on June 28, 2025.(Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)Kaepernick said he eventually voted for Democrat candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections.When asked whic...