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Trump Wants NFL To Suspend Raiders' Marshawn Lynch

(CNN) -- President Donald Trump took to Twitter to criticize Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch early Monday morning.

After photographs surfaced showing Lynch standing during the Mexican national anthem and sitting during the US national anthem at a game against the New England Patriots in Mexico City on Sunday, Trump called for his suspension.

"Marshawn Lynch of the NFL's Oakland Raiders stands for the Mexican Anthem and sits down to boos for our National Anthem. Great disrespect! Next time NFL should suspend him for remainder of season. Attendance and ratings way down," he tweeted.

The President and the NFL have butted heads over athletes' decisions to kneel during the national anthem at games, with Trump calling on the league to fire players who protest during the anthem earlier this year.

Oakland Raiders v Miami Dolphin
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - NOVEMBER 05: Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Oakland Raiders looks on during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Back in August, Lynch told coach Jack Del Rio that sitting during the national anthem is something he has done throughout his career. Lynch has not publicly said why he is sitting for the anthem.

This marks the second day Trump has taken to social media to criticize African-American athletes.

Trump helped negotiate the release of three UCLA basketball players, including LiAngelo Ball, accused of shoplifting in China. On Sunday, the President tweeted that he should have left the basketball players in jail, suggesting that Ball's father was "unaccepting" of Trump's efforts to negotiate the players out of China.

"Shoplifting is a very big deal in China, as it should be (5-10 years in jail), but not to father LaVar," Trump said later on Sunday. "Should have gotten his son out during my next trip to China instead. China told them why they were released. Very ungrateful!"

(The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2017 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)

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