They were. Just like they were offensive when George W. Bush was President. And, when Bill Clinton was President. And, George H.W. Bush. And, Ronald Reagan, etc. It's just that people didn't want to listen when people tried to have a reasonable debate. To discuss the issue without screaming. It took protests, and things like Charlottesville, and Colin Kaepernick, and a hundred other marches and actions to get people thinking, "Hey, maybe this is about more than just some guy kneeling during the National Anthem." Sadly, the world isn't changed by people who whisper. It's too easy to ignore when people try to be reasonable.