President Donald Trump said NFL owners should not tolerate players disrespecting the American flag, suggesting Friday they ought to say, "get that son of a bitch off the field right now."
Trump, in Alabama campaigning for Sen. Luther Strange (R., Ala.) in his primary battle with Roy Moore, said he and Strange were united in their pride for the country and respect for the flag.
"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners when someone disrespects our flag to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired,'" Trump yelled, to huge cheers.
The crowd began chanting "USA!"
"You know, some owner's going to do that," Trump said. "He's going to say, 'That guy who disrespects our flag, he's fired.'"
Trump called it a "total disrespect of our heritage."
NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling for the national anthem last year to draw attention to police brutality practices and other examples of racial injustice, and some other players have followed suit.
Kaepernick, who reached the Super Bowl in the 2012 season with the San Francisco 49ers, is currently a free agent, and his supporters argue owners are staying away from signing him because of the controversy surrounding him.