Former President Carter said that he “would rather” that NFL players stand during the national anthem than kneel.

Carter told The New York Times's Maureen Dowd that he thought players “ought to find a different way to object, to demonstrate.”

“I would rather see all the players stand during the American anthem,” he said.

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Dowd also asked Carter if he thought President Trump was deepening racial divisions in the U.S.

“Yes, I think he is exacerbating it,” Carter replied. “But maybe not deliberately.”

NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick began protesting racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem last season.

Trump set off a firestorm when he began attacking players who kneel during the anthem last month, calling for people to walk out of games over the kneeling players and for owners to fire players who demonstrate.

NFL teams and owners responded to Trump’s comments by continuing to kneel or otherwise protest during the anthem.

Vice President Pence walked out of an NFL game earlier this month after several players knelt during the anthem.

Trump has also been criticized for his comments after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., that left one person dead.

Trump blamed “both sides” for the violence and initially did not condemn the white supremacists outright.