A passionate defense of the right for NFL players to protest went viral made by Texas Democratic Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke.

O’Rourke said that he “can think of nothing more American” than “to peacefully stand up, or take a knee, for your rights.”

O'Rourke is campaigning against Ted Cruz.

“Non-violently, peacefully, while the eyes of this country are watching these games, they take a knee to bring our attention and our focus to this problem to ensure that we fix it,” O’Rourke said of the players. “That is why they are doing it. And I can think of nothing more American than to peacefully stand up, or take a knee, for your rights, any time, anywhere, in any place.”