The CEO of the New England Patriots said early Sunday that he is "disappointed" after President Trump criticized NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.

"I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President on Friday," Robert Kraft said in a statement. "I am proud to be associated with so many players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting our communities."

Kraft said the players' efforts on and off the field help to "bring people together and make our community stronger."

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"There is no greater unifier in this country than sports, and unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics," he said.

"I think our political leaders could learn a lot from the lessons of teamwork and the importance of working together toward a common goal."

Kraft also said he supports the rights of the players to "peacefully affect social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is most impactful."

His comments come after Trump said during a rally late last week that NFL fans should leave games if players kneel during the national anthem and called on NFL owners to fire players who take a knee.