Colin Kaepernick has revised his perspective on electoral politics, calling his previous decision not to vote "irresponsible" in his new memoir, "The Perilous Fight." The former NFL quarterback, who famously protested racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016, has also voiced admiration for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
In 2016, Kaepernick stated that voting in the presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump would be hypocritical, given his stance against oppression. "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," Kaepernick told reporters at the time. He characterized Trump as "openly racist" and criticized Clinton for her past support of the 1994 crime bill.
However, Kaepernick now acknowledges the significant consequences of abstaining from voting. "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." He added that while the intention behind his previous strategy was rooted in opposing oppression, the execution was not effective. Kaepernick confirmed that he did vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections.
When asked about contemporary politicians who inspire him, Kaepernick named Mamdani, a 34-year-old socialist. "When we talk about leaders that are moving the needle right now, I think we’re seeing real impact coming out of Mamdani," Kaepernick said. He praised Mamdani's focus on public needs and accountability, stating, "It is very refreshing for a lot of people to see someone in a political role saying, ‘I am prioritizing the people’s needs. I’m going to hold people accountable to that, and we are just going to execute and deliver on this over and over again.’"
Kaepernick suggested that Mamdani's leadership style could encourage greater civic engagement. "Ultimately, I think a lot of those people who are out there that say, ‘Hey, this doesn’t represent me, I’m not voting, or I don’t feel great about the politicians out there,’ it’s because they aren’t seeing people move in that way. The more that we see that come, we’ll see more and more people involved and excited about what is happening in the political sphere."