Trump asks if NFL players who protest should be in country

FILE PHOTO: Indianapolis Colts players kneel during the playing of the National Anthem before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN, U.S., September 24, 2017. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed a decision by the National Football League to fine teams if players on the field refuse to stand for the national anthem, saying in an interview broadcast on Thursday that if they do not want to stand, perhaps they should not be in the United States.

Last season some NFL players took a knee during the anthem to protest police shootings of unarmed black men, sparking a controversy. Trump denounced the players as unpatriotic and repeatedly demanded an end to such protests.