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Donald Trump blasts NFL players over national anthem protest: 'Get that son of a b**** off the field'

Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on NFL players who have kneeled in protest of the national anthem.

During a speech at a rally in Alabama on Friday night, the US president said the team owners should “fire” those who do.

He said: "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a b**ch off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired'. Wouldn't you love it?

"Some owner's going to do that. He's going to say, 'That guy who disrespects our flag, he's fired'. And that owner, they don't know it - they're friends of mine, many of them - they'll be the most popular person for a week in this country.

US president Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Alabama (AP)
US president Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Alabama (AP)

"That's a total disrespect of our heritage, that's a total disrespect of everything that we stand for. I know we have freedoms and freedom of choice and many different freedoms but it's still totally disrespectful."

Various players across the league have taken a stand by kneeling or raising their fist during The Star-Spangled Banner since the start of last season, including high-profile figures such as Colin Kaepernick, Michael Bennett and Marshawn Lynch.

Kaepernick, who remains unemployed despite leading a team to the Super Bowl at the end of the 2012 season, was the first to protest over perceived racial injustice and police brutality.

Bennett recently admitted the scenes at a white supremacist rally in Virginia partially motivated his decision.

NFL player Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks sits on the bench during the national anthem (Getty Images)
NFL player Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks sits on the bench during the national anthem (Getty Images)

Mr Trump criticism of those who have decided to take a stance during the customary pre-game anthem came as the Golden State Warriors mulled over attending the White House to celebrate their NBA win in June.

It is customary for the NBA winners to do so; the Warriors visited Barack Obama in 2015 while the Cleveland Cavaliers were Mr Obama's final sporting guests a year ago.

The Warriors are yet to receive an invitation but, were it to come, two-time MVP Steph Curry says his team can "send a statement" by snubbing it.

Speaking at a press conference, he said: "I don't want to go."

Asked what it would achieve, he added: "(To show) that we don't stand for basically what our president has ... the things that he's said and the things that he hasn't said in the right times, that we won't stand for it.

"And by acting and not going, hopefully that will inspire some change when it comes to what we tolerate in this country and what is accepted and what we turn a blind eye to.

"It's not just the act of not going there. There are things you have to do on the back end to actually push that message into motion."

Mr Trump's NFL speech was not well received by a number of current and retired NFL players on Twitter.

Washington linebacker Zach Brown wrote: "Trump stay in ur place... football have nothing to do wit u smh."

Detroit tight end Eric Ebron said: "Does anyone tell trump to stick to politics, like they tell us to stick to sports? Smh."

Current Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long, one of the New England Patriots Super Bowl winners that did not attend a function at the White House earlier this year, appeared to allude to Mr Trump's speech.

He wrote: "Player- Let's promote equality, help our communities. Mad Guy- All talk. Player- Actually I do/have done X. Mad Guy- U just want attention!"