Trump says Pence receiving 'great praise' for Colts walkout

President Trump is offering praise for his lineman, or at least a member of his administration willing to toe his line on NFL protests.

"The trip by @VP Pence was long planned. He is receiving great praise for leaving game after the players showed such disrespect for country!" Trump posted on Twitter Monday morning.

His tweet, the latest in what is now a three-weeks-long attack on the NFL, came after Vice President Mike Pence briefly attended the Indianapolis Colts game on Sunday and walked out when players on the San Francisco 49ers kneeled during the national anthem.

"I asked @VP Pence to leave stadium if any players kneeled, disrespecting our country. I am proud of him and @SecondLady Karen," Trump posted after the walk out, which also sorry an orchestrated barrage of messages from Pence.

Despite Trump's assertions that the move showed leadership, others called it a stunt and raised questions about whether it was worthwhile for the former Indiana governor to spend his Sunday snubbing athletes.

The trip to Indianapolis cost taxpayers at least $250,000 for Pence to fly from Las Vegas to Indianapolis and then back west to Los Angeles on Sunday.

An aide to the vice president told the network that Pence was originally scheduled to fly back to Washington for the evening, and that he game “was on his schedule for several weeks.”

Former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was honored at the game, which Indianapolis won 26-23.