New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who had been viewed as a supporter of President Donald Trump, released a statement Sunday saying he is "deeply disappointed by the tone" of Trump's comments against NFL flag and national anthem protestors.
Kraft's statement, released via Twitter, expressed support for "intelligent, thoughtful" NFL players and said there is nothing "more divisive than politics."
President Trump has raised awareness of NFL player protests of kneeling for the national anthem before games, including Sunday at London's Wembley Stadium as the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars were playing.
The Patriots' Kraft was among the top 20 "outside" advisers of President Trump this spring, according to a report in The New York Times.
Despite the pushback from the NFL and sports community, President Trump kept fanning the flames against anti-U.S. sentiment in sports, tweeting a rebuke of the "boring" NFL "disrespecting our flag and country" Sunday morning.