President Donald Trump praised the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday for rising for the national anthem before their Monday night game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Since saying Friday that players who don't stand for the national anthem should be fired from their teams, Trump has tweeted repeatedly about the issue, saying the league should require them to stand and demanding they respect the American flag.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the rest of the team knelt together before the anthem in solidarity with teams that protested across the league on Sunday in response to Trump's remarks. The initial gesture drew boos from the crowd in Phoenix.
However, they stood for the playing of the anthem and were then cheered by those in the stadium, which included a strong contingent of Dallas fans. The Cowboys have one of the NFL's largest, nationwide fanbases.
"The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was loudest I have ever heard. Great anger," Trump tweeted Tuesday morning.
He followed up: "But while Dallas dropped to it knees as a team, they all stood up for our National Anthem. Big progress being made—we all love our country!"
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The president set the sports world ablaze after his remarks Friday that he wished owners would say of players who don't rise for the anthem: "Get that son of a bitch off the field."
In response to criticisms that he was harping on African American players, Trump tweeted Sunday the issue had "nothing to do with race."
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