Fox Business host Lou Dobbs said NFL players are "ingrates" for believing "that standing for the national anthem" constitutes oppression.

Dobbs's criticism comes after San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid commented on Vice President Pence's decision to leave the game between the 49ers and Indianapolis Colts shortly after several 49ers kneeled during the national anthem.

Reid told reporters after the game that Pence's decision was a "stunt" and showed what "systemic oppression" looks like.

"It’s no wonder that ESPN is struggling and losing subscribers, facing higher costs and a decline in ad revenue, and that’s where we are in this NFL player-led protest," Dobbs said on his prime-time program.

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"These protesting NFL players are such ingrates that they, and some of the sportscasters who cover them, believe that standing for the national anthem hand over heart constitutes some form of — Are you ready? — oppression. Good grief!"

Dobbs, a former host on CNN before coming to Fox Business in 2011, is a staunch supporter of President Trump.

The debate over player protests during the national anthem continued Monday when the NFL Players Association said in a statement it supports players' constitutional rights to "peacefully raise awareness."

“Our men and their families are also conscientious Americans who continue to be forces for good through our communities and some have decided to use their platform to peacefully raise awareness to issues that deserve attention,” reads the statement.

“It is a source of enormous pride that some of the best conversations about these issues have taken place in our locker rooms in a respectful, civil and thoughtful way that should serve as a model for how all of us can communicate with each other.

“We should not stifle these discussions and cannot allow our rights to become subservient to the very opinions our Constitution protects. That is what makes us the land of the free and home of the brave.”

Pence tweeted Sunday to explain he left the game because he “will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem.”