Tim Kaine: You have to respect Kaepernick for acting according to his conscience

“You’re the father of a Marine. What’s your reaction to Colin Kaepernick?” Stephanopoulos asked.

“You know, you’ve got to respect people’s ability to act according to their conscience,” Kaine said. “I mean, I’d do it differently. I think if you really thought about issues and this country, you’d do it differently, and when I heard him explain his rationale, didn’t really make that much sense to me. But you’ve got to respect people’s ability to act according to their conscience, so I wouldn’t presume to tell him what to do.”

Kaepernick, a starter-turned-backup for the San Francisco 49ers, set off a firestorm last month when he refused to stand for the playing of the national anthem before NFL preseason games.