Tuesday 10 October 2017 11:45, UK
President Donald Trump has praised Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones after he said his players would not play should they 'disrespect' the flag during the national anthem.
"A big salute to Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, who will BENCH players who disrespect our Flag.'Stand for Anthem or sit for game!'" Trump tweeted on Monday night.
Jones made the comments, without going as far as saying he would bench players, around the ongoing national anthem controversy on Sunday following the Cowboys' 35-31 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
"We as a team are very much on the page together," he added. "We've made our expression that we're together.
"I'm very supportive of the team, but under no circumstances will the Dallas Cowboys - I don't care what happens - under no circumstances will we as an organisation, or as coaches and players, not support and stand and recognise and honour the flag.
"If we are disrespecting the flag, then we won't play. Period."
According to local media reports, Cowboys' defensive linemen David Irving and Damontre Moore both raised their fists at the end of the national anthem before their defeat to the Packers.
The Cowboys knelt arm-in-arm before the national anthem when they played the Arizona Cardinals in September, days after Trump criticised NFL players for anthem protests.
Players, coaches and others, including Jones and his family, were among those in the line during the anthem with their arms locked.
Meanwhile, Trump also criticised NFL clubs for "disrespecting" their country over the protests, intimating they receive "massive tax breaks" while calling for a change to the current law.
Trump wrote on Twitter: "Why is the NFL getting massive tax breaks while at the same time disrespecting our Anthem, Flag and Country? Change tax law!"
