But it’s not. The only way out to where?
The only way out of this mess? That’s not a threat.Again, a threat would include “or else.” As in some (either vague or specific) governmental action would be exacted against the NFL. “The only way out” does not suggest any action other than Trump continuing to tweet at them.
The only way “the only way out” could be a threat would be if the NFL was already threatened and there was “the only way out” to prevent continuation of the current threat.
Trumpy already has his minions chanting boycott NFL. You don’t think the team owners are afraid for their wallets?
I don’t know, but that’s not the same thing. If the NFL thought they would lose money by allowing it to continue and therefore changed their policy, that’s not the same as threat of action by the government to suppress freedom of expression.
Besides that, Trump is an idiot. He can make an empty threat (as he actually does seem to have done, given NeverarGreat’s recent post) but that doesn’t mean the government actually has the legal standing to back it up. If the federal government actually went after the NFL’s non-profit status (which I didn’t know they had), in response to the NFL franchise employees protesting the government, I’m pretty sure the NFL could countersue over it.