President Trump shared his reaction to the new NFL national anthem rules during an appearance on "Fox & Friends."
In the wake of the announcement by the NFL that players who are on the field must stand during the national anthem, President Trump expressed his support for the decision in an interview that aired Thursday morning.
"You have to stand proudly for the national anthem, or you shouldn't be playing. You shouldn't be there," Trump said during an appearance on Fox News show "Fox & Friends." "Maybe you shouldn't be in the country."
"NFL owners did the right thing," Trump added.
The league announced its new policy on Wednesday.
According to ESPN, it "requires players to stand if they are on the field during the performance but gives them the option to remain in the locker room if they prefer...The policy subjects teams to a fine if a player or any other team personnel do not show respect for the anthem. That includes any attempt to sit or kneel."
The new rules follow Trump's frequent criticisms of NFL players who, during the anthem, kneeled in protest of police brutality and economic inequality. The president asserted those players were "ruining the game" and showing "total disrespect of everything that we stand for."
