Poll: 41 Percent Believe It's Appropriate for Athletes to Protest 

The number of people who think it's appropriate for professional athletes to protest racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem is rising, a Fox News poll shows.

In a poll released this week, 41 percent of respondents thought it was appropriate for athletes to take the knee during the Star Spangled Banner rather than stand; 55 percent thought it was inappropriate.

But in September 2016, 32 percent of respondents thought the on-field protest was appropriate, and 61 percent thought it was inappropriate, Fox News reported.

Former Hillary Clinton adviser Richard Goodstein told Fox News National Football League players are not likely to "back off" the protest.

"Maybe for once Donald Trump could rise from this and calm things down," he said.

But GOP commentator and syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette said athletes would be better off viewing themselves as part of "a much bigger brotherhood."

"This is a losing issue for the NFL," he added.

• Poll: 60 Percent Say Trump Wrong to Criticize NFL Players' Protests
• Abdul-Jabbar Praises Pro Athletes for Protesting Peacefully