Two-thirds in the poll of registered voters, by 68%-27%, say Trump’s call for NFL owners to fire the players and fans to boycott their games is inappropriate. That includes a third of Republicans as well as nine of 10 Democrats.

By 51%-42%, those surveyed say the players’ protests are appropriate.

“They certainly have the right to express whatever they want,” says Ryan Doyle, 19, a college student and Democratic-leaning independent from Manhattan Beach, Calif., who was among those surveyed. “It doesn’t call for violence; it doesn’t call for pain; it doesn’t call for any dramatic act.”

He adds: “Free speech is an innately American thing.”