Poll: Two-thirds of Americans say Trump was wrong to call for firing of NFL players

More than two-thirds of Americans said in a new poll that President Trump was wrong to call for the firing of NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.

An HBO/Marist Poll released Tuesday found that 68 percent of respondents said Trump “did the wrong thing” when he said the NFL should fire athletes who kneel, while 28 percent said he did the right thing.

Eighty-nine percent of Democrats who took the survey said Trump did the wrong thing, while only 41 percent of Republicans share that view.

{mosads}The poll results also show a growing support for the protests during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” with 51 percent of respondents saying that professional sports leagues should not require their athletes to stand for the anthem. Only 43 percent said the same thing in a September 2016 poll.

Trump last month urged the NFL to fire players who kneeled during the anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality. Amid heightened tensions between Trump and players and officials, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league would not establish a rule requiring players to stand.