I have to wonder how much CNN offers in hazard pay, because Chris Cillizza is doing some dangerous stretching in order to create racial undertones to everything Donald Trump says.

Today on Twitter, Cillizza pointed out a quote from a recent Trump rally in Alabama, in which Trump made some strong comments about athletes not respecting the flag/national anthem. The quote, Cillizza alleges, makes the case that Trump’s real point in all this talk is about race.

For people, who say this isn't about race, read this quote fro Trump's Alabama speechhttps://t.co/KtuaUjk7FD pic.twitter.com/ULzuJmIoQR

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) September 25, 2017

If you are wondering what in that quote is actually discussing race, the answer is “nothing.” Nothing in that quote is about race.

Trump was dumb to make the controversy what it is by inserting himself into the issue, but there is no evidence whatsoever that he did so because it was race-centric. There is nothing in this quote that says Donald Trump is really upset that white people’s heritage is being disrespected, nor is there anything to suggest he’s pissed that black athletes are kneeling in opposition to America.

You may not like what Trump said (I don’t), but it is incredibly foolish to take no evidence of it being a racial speech and using that as evidence that it was a racial speech.

Cillizza will likely be out 2-3 weeks to rest the muscles he strained reaching this conclusion.