Trump tweets support for NFL pick who called Kaepernick a 'clown'

"Congratulations to Nick Bosa on being picked number two in the NFL Draft. You will be a great player for years to come, maybe one of the best. Big Talent! San Francisco will embrace you but most importantly, always stay true to yourself. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump tweeted.

Trump's tweet came after the San Francisco 49ers selected Bosa in the NFL draft on Thursday night.

Bosa, a defensive end from Ohio State, had previously taken heat for some old political tweets, including tweets supporting Trump and a tweet where he called Colin Kaepernick, a former 49er, a clown. Bosa apologized for the remark, according to an NFL.com article.

"I respect what he's done," Bosa said at a press conference after his selection. "If it empowers anybody, then he's doing a good thing. I apologize for that."

Kaepernick started the movement of NFL players kneeling for the National Anthem to protest police brutality and racism. Trump railed against Kaepernick and other protesting players and called on the NFL to take punitive measures against them. Kaepernick later filed suit against the NFL, accusing teams of colluding to keep him from playing, and settled earlier this year, according to his attorney.

Bosa has since deleted the tweets, which ESPN said included the criticism of Kaepernick, as well as Beyoncé and the movie "Black Panther." When asked in an ESPN interview why he deleted the posts, Bosa said, "I had to."

"There is a chance I might end up in San Francisco," Bosa said.

CNN's Jason Hoffman and Jim Acosta contributed to this report.

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