President Donald Trump has praised an NFL ban on players kneeling during the national anthem, questioning whether such protesters should stay in the US.

He said: “You have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there, maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.”

The interview was aired a day after the NFL said clubs will be fined if players kneel for the Star-Spangled Banner.

The players have been protesting over perceived police brutality since 2016.

In an interview with Fox & Friends filmed on Wednesday, Mr Trump said of the NFL’s decision: “The people pushed it forward, not me. I brought it out.”

Last autumn in Alabama, Mr Trump called on protesting players to be fired.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he’s fired. He’s fired,'” Mr Trump said at the time.

Under the new league policy, teams can be fined an undetermined sum if players protest on the field.

Players are permitted to stay in the locker room as the anthem is performed. They previously were required to be present on the field.