Colin Kaepernick has gone to great lengths to show that while he’s protesting the National Anthem, he has great respect for members of the military and their sacrifices. Despite this, many people feel that anything but unapologetic support for all things tied to American symbolism is un-American.

While he originally supported Kaepernick’s freedom of speech, and his cause, President Barack Obama recently came out to ask the football player, and other athletes, to consider military members and families during their protest. As if they weren’t already.

“I want Mr. Kaepernick and others who are on a knee to listen to the pain that that may cause somebody who, for example, had a spouse or a child who was killed in combat and why it hurts them to see somebody not standing,” Obama said, according to USA Today. ” I also want people to think about the pain he may be expressing about somebody who’s lost a loved one that they think was unfairly shot. One of thing I saw about American democracy is that it can be frustrating, but it’s the best system we’ve got.”

In a failed attempt to play the middle, Obama actually appears to be critical of Kaepernick’s protest and, by extension, he seems to be missing the message.