Washington (CNN) A majority of Americans, by a 58% to 35% margin, believe NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem in protest are "not unpatriotic," according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday. By a 53-to-43% margin, Americans say professional athletes have the right to protest on the playing field, though 51% of voters said they support the NFL's new policy requiring players to stand. Thursday's poll was conducted from May 31 to June 5, partially after President Donald Trump announced that he was canceling a planned White House visit by the Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles . He initially cited the anthem protests as the reason for the cancellation, though the White House later acknowledged that a low expected turnout was a major factor in the decision. Overall, 61% of voters said they do not approve of Trump's handling of race relations, the poll found.

Source: CNN June 07, 2018 19:51 UTC