Robert Kraft 'Deeply Disappointed' by Donald Trump's Comments

On Sunday morning, New England Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft joined the growing list of NFL teams and prominent figures to condemn the comments made about NFL players by President Donald Trump during a rally in Alabama on Friday.

Trump took aim at NFL players during a speech in Huntsville, in particular pointing out the player protests that have taken place during the national anthem.

"That's a total disrespect of our heritage. That's a total disrespect of everything that we stand for," he said, per the Associated Press (via NBC News). "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you'd say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He's fired.'"

Trump also said that any owner who took such an action would be "the most popular person in this country" for a week. He then took to Twitter to continue his thoughts:

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell offered the following statement in rebuttal:

Trump responded, doubling down on his original comments:

A number of teams and players also spoke out against Trump's comments Saturday.

Trump's tirade against the league nonetheless continued Sunday morning:

Kraft's condemnation of Trump's words was of particular significance given his relationship with the president. Kraft has called Trump a good friend in the past and gave him a commemorative Super Bowl ring when the Patriots visited the White House in April in addition to the traditional gifts of jersey and helmet given to presidents.

Kraft also donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration committee.