Ray Rice took criticism from all angles on Monday, and deservedly so.
On Monday night, he received a harsh rebuke from the United States’ highest political office.
Rice was released by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL after TMZ released a video of him punching his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer, during a dispute in February.
Virtually everyone weighed in with their take on the Ravens running back, but the strongest condemnation came from the White House. After press secretary Josh Earnest spoke with President Barack Obama Monday night, the White House released the following statement .
“The President is the father of two daughters. And like any American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society,” the statement read.
“Hitting a woman is not something a real man does, and that’s true whether or not an act of violence happens in the public eye, or, far too often, behind closed doors. Stopping domestic violence is something that’s bigger than football — and all of us have a responsibility to put a stop to it.”
It was a clear and powerful message from Washington, which unsurprisingly had strong words for the former star of a team that plays its home games less than 40 miles from the nation’s capital.
Rice likely will be away from football for a long time, as NFL teams reportedly have been asked not to contact the 27-year-old until “further direction” from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The CFL has also recognized Rice’s suspension, meaning that he cannot play in Canada until he is reinstated by the NFL.
Photo via Andrew Weber/USA TODAY Sports Images
